


Mbwa Mwitu

by frk_werewolf (wolfelements)



Series: Fisi'Verse [5]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Bisexual Tara, F/M, Hyena Xander, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Initiative destruction, M/M, Pack Dynamics, Possessive Spike, Souled Spike, Tara is a Goddess, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-08
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-07 01:25:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 21
Words: 53,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6779647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfelements/pseuds/frk_werewolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Xander decides to help Oz find the balance between man and wolf, he has no idea as to the events that it will trigger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title is Swahili for wolf or wolves.

.Prologue.

The funny thing about being happy is that you know it's going to end sooner or later. Xander was perfectly aware of this fact. He had been happy, once upon a time, then things like a hyena and a sweet smiling soul got in the way. Things were a little crazy, for a while there. But it got better, and now Xander was happy. Spike was happy. 

The happiness lasted for quite a while. Long enough for Xander to get a stable job and rent out a first floor apartment. All of the windows faced the sunrise. This way, once noon came around, it was usually safe enough for Spike was walk around the apartment without any of the curtains closed. The happiness also lasted long enough for Xander and Spike to get comfortable with one another, finally settling down to a routine.

Of course, being happy can't last forever. It was inevitable that it would end, and so it did. But the way it ended wasn't as shocking as Xander would have thought. After all, he always knew the Initiative was a bad thing. 

But Xander was getting ahead of himself. It didn't start with the Initiative, not really. No, it started with a former pack mate. It started with a wolf.

 

.Chapter One.

Xander watched from the corner of the room as Willow and Tara argued. Spike rested against his side, a new pair of reading glasses resting on the tip of his nose. The vampire was hardly reading, his eyes instead focused on the two witches. Willow and Tara had been tense since the moment they had entered the Magic Box. In fact, they had been tense for the past two weeks. Something had happened, and while Xander hated the idea of choosing sides, he knew what it was. 

A few weeks ago, Willow had cast a rather complicated spell just to see what would happen. The results had been Buffy becoming completely incapacitated, Spike's chip frying his brain, and Giles passing out for three whole days. Needless to say, the demons of Sunnydale had a blast with only Xander strong enough to try and stop them. Tara finally managed to cast the counter spell, but the damage had already been done. Tara now insisted that Willow stop using magic, until she had the discipline to handle it.

"Hate to say it, pet, but I think this is it." Spike said softly, glancing over at Xander and then back at Tara and Willow.

"I was hoping..." Xander sighed and buried his nose into Spike's hair. The scent of his lover, surrounded by gel, calmed him enough to continue. "I was hoping those two would last. Tara... She would have been so good for Willow."

"Red doesn't want to listen." Spike informed him, finally closing the book he had been pretending to read. "I've got to admit, I'm with Tara on this one."

"I know." Xander agreed. "After that last spell she did..." Xander held Spike tighter against him. "I never want to hear you scream like that again."

"Gonna happen if the chip decides to electrocute me." Spike pointed out. Xander made a growling-type noise in the back of his throat, causing Spike to chuckle. "Yeah, me too."

"I don't care!" Tara's voice interrupted them. Xander looked up, startled, to see Tara's face set in an angry scowl. Her body radiated with power, fused by her emotions. A part of Xander, predominantly controlled by the hyena, wanted to stand up and quickly dominate her before she turned on someone, but the rational part couldn't move. This looked nothing like the Tara he was used to.

"Tara-" Willow started, looking on the verge of tears.

"Willow." Tara interrupted, her voice deceptively calm despite the powerful charge rolling off her in waves. "I refuse to stand by and watch you destroy your gifts. You... You don't get it, Willow. You're magical strength is not determined by how many spells you can use, or how difficult they are. Strength is determined by how well you can control yourself. How well you can control the energy around you and not use the power of others to do what you want."

"I don't." Willow said meekly, her eyes darting away. "I don't mean to. Tara-"

"You don't mean to, but you do it anyway!" Tara suddenly yelled. Xander felt Spike jerk in surprise at the volume. "You refuse to train, and therefore you just grab at the power around you instead of channeling your own."

"Tara, calm down." Willow said, her voice nearly a whisper.

"I..." Tara looked at the ground, her arms crossing at her chest. Xander could feel her emotions close in on themselves. He had the sudden urge to hold her, to try and give her comfort. When she spoke next, her voice sounded broken and on the verge of tears. "I don't think this is going to work."

"What? Baby, no." Willow shook her head.

"I can't do this anymore, Willow." Tara said softly. The smell of tears reached Xander's nose. He could feel Spike shift next to him. He knew the vampire was feeling the same thing as him. Both had grown close to Tara since the whole incident with Spike's soul.

"Tara." Willow said. "Please, don't. I can work on it. Really, I can. I'll-"

"No, it's more than just the magic, Willow." Tara took a step back, as though putting more space between them would help. "It's everything. I don't feel..."

"You don't love me." Willow finished for her. "Did you ever love me?"

"I haven't had time to fall in love with you." Tara said honestly. "I like you, a lot, but... We don't..."

"No, I get it." Willow laughed slightly, before wiping tears out of her eyes. "Yeah, I get it."

"Do you?" Tara asked, frowning. "I don't think you do."

"You think I'm using you." Willow replied, her eyes hardening slightly. "You think I’m just using you as some sort of test. Or some sort of fount of power."

"Don't you dare do this to me, Willow." Tara said, her gray eyes narrowing. "I'm not your enemy, so don't even try to make me one. We've been having problems for a long time and you know it. I'm just strong enough to admit it."

"Fine." Willow snapped.

"Will-" Tara started.

"No, Tara." Willow said, walking past the blonde and toward the door. "You're right. We just aren't working out." Willow made a small noise in the back of her throat, stopping a few feet from the door. The room fell to silence, allowing Xander the chance to notice that he could no longer hear Buffy and Giles working out in the training room. No doubt they were standing by the door, listening in on the argument. With a sigh, Willow glanced back at Tara. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about." Tara told her. "The blame is on both of us."

"Yeah." Willow nodded. She stared down at her hands for a moment, before looking back up. "Maybe we should take a break. I mean, not... Not see each other for a while."

"I guess I should be the one leaving then." Tara whispered. "These are your friends after all."

"No, they're yours too." Willow insisted. "Let's not do the silly friends divorce thing, okay? We should... We should still be able to be friends, don't you think?"

"Yeah." Tara said, smiling sadly. She reached over and grabbed her purse off the table. Glancing quickly over at Xander and Spike, she walked toward the door, passing Willow on the way. "I'll just... I'll just go. You should stay here."

"...Okay." Willow said softly. "I..."

"Don't." Tara replied. "It's best if we just leave this as it is. Give us some time to think, okay?"

"Yeah." Willow nodded.

Xander watched as Tara slipped out the door, into the dry California night. He glanced at Spike, who had a determined look on his face. Sighing, Xander allowed Spike to slip from his embrace and made for the door as well. Xander watched as his mate left the Magic Box, following the obvious trail of sadness that their pack mate was giving off.

And that's what Tara was, when it came down to it. She was probably more a part of Xander's pack mentality than Willow or Buffy was. She was the one that helped him when he had nearly lost Spike. She brought him back to him. If Xander was to label the other members of the pack, Tara would be Beta, third only after Xander and Spike, themselves. Xander desperately wanted to follow Spike and comfort her, but he knew he had someone else to comfort. 

Willow stood by the door, her head tilted to the side as she looked out the window. With a sigh, the redhead turned toward him. "Xander..."

"Come here, Wills." Xander said softly, opening his arms. Willow quickly rushed to his side, falling into the seat next to him and resting her forehead against his shoulder. Her body shook from silent tears. "It's okay. Let it out."

"Oh, God." Willow whimpered, looking up at him with watery eyes. "I... I don't know what to feel right now, Xander. I just... Everything hurts, but at the same time I'm kind of relieved."

"I know." Xander whispered.

"She's right, you know." Willow suddenly said, one hand gripping the front of his shirt as though that would help her hold on to her senses. "We've been having problems ever since..."

"Ever since what?"

"Ever since she did that spell for Spike. The one that took you guys to the higher plane." Willow replied. "It was like... She suddenly saw how different we saw everything. How we viewed magic. We both used one another."

"Oh, Willow, that's not true." Buffy said, as she exited the training room, an uneasy Giles at her heels.

"It is!" Willow insisted, her voice breaking slightly. "You don't get it... I... I used her to boost my magical knowledge, to learn everything faster. She used me for support, to build self-esteem and finally belong with a family. I guess... I guess we didn't realize what was happening until now."

"Sometimes things happen for a reason." Xander said.

"Huh. Here you guys are." A mellow sounding voice spoke up. The group turned toward the doorway to see a short man with electric blue hair. Xander's body tensed for a moment, before the scent of woods and wild nights under a moon hit his senses.

"Oz?" Willow asked, looking stunned.

"Hey." Oz gave a slight wave.

"Oz, what happened?" Buffy asked, eyeing the bruise that stood out on the werewolf's pale skin. Oz reached up and touched the black eye, wincing slightly.

"Kind of ran into a fist." Oz replied. "Hey, did you know you have soldiers running around?"

"Well aware of that." Xander growled. Oz stared at Xander a moment, his nostrils flaring, before his green eyes dropped to the floor in what could be considered submission. Xander gave Oz a smile in return. "Did they give you that?"

"Yeah." Oz said, raising one shoulder in a slight shrug. "There was only one of them, so I managed to escape."

"Good." Xander stated, sending Buffy a look. Buffy rolled her eyes and looked away, fully aware that it might have been her boyfriend that had caused that bruise.

A few blocks from the Magic Box, Tara sat on the curb. Her arms remained wrapped around her knees, her head tilted in order to watch the vampire sitting next to her. Spike had followed her out, and had stuck with her until she finally sat down to give into her emotions. Now, her crying spell over, Spike looked on the verge of saying something.

"What is it?" She asked softly. Her hands immediately began twisting the hem of her skirt nervously.

"I just... I want you to know that I think you did the right thing." Spike said, nodding to himself. It amazed Tara how sometimes Spike wasn't completely Spike at all. It was moments like these that she saw the strong enfluence of William, who was always concerned about the feelings of those around him. "Sometimes you've got to make hard decisions that, even at the time, don't feel right. But they are, yeah?"

"Thank you, Spike." Tara replied.

"I hated Xander." Spike told her. She looked up at him in shock. "Not now, but... At the time, I hated him. I hated that he made me feel so safe around him. That he made me feel... Happy." Spike paused a moment, before continuing. "Does she make you happy?"

"She did." Was Tara's soft reply. "But... Now she makes me weary, almost..."

"Scared." Spike offered.

"Yeah." Tara sniffed. "The way she uses her power. The way she says things to make me go along with her. She... I don't know, I'm just unsure about her."

"That's the difference right there, pet." Spike told her, wrapping an arm around her waist. Tara let out a long sigh and rested her head against his shoulder. Immediately she felt a sesne of comfort overcome her. Spike or Xander always seemed to have that effect as of late. "When your partner is powerful, they should make you feel safe. You should feel that, no matter how much power or strength they have, they will protect you."

"I don't think I've ever felt that way." Tara admitted. "I just... Spike, I just want to belong. I want... To be a part of something."

"If it makes you feel any better, Xander says you're part of our pack." Spike informed her. Tara giggled slightly, before letting out a tired sigh. "Come on. Let's go collect my mate and you can stay the night at our place."


	2. Chapter 2

"So..." Xander glanced over at Oz. Behind him, Spike and Tara followed. For a brief second he wondered how all four of them would find room in his apartment, but the thought was immediately pushed away. Oz needed a place to stay. Tara need the support of the pack. It was as simple as that. "What have you been up to?"

"Tibet." Was Oz's reply. It was spoken in the sort of tone that explained everything, even when the words didn't.

"Right, the whole control thing." Xander nodded, pulling out a set of keys to unlock his door. "How'd that work out for you?"

"Almost figured it out, but..." Oz trailed off a moment, before continuing. "It's all about keeping your emotions in check."

"And we all know you're such a hot head." Xander teased, pushing the door open to allow everyone entrance. Oz's lips twitched into a mild smile before stepping inside. "I'm afraid we don't have that much room. The sofa pulls out into a bed, but... Well, I don't know how you guys feel about sharing beds."

"I can sleep on the floor." Tara spoke up.

"Like hell you will." Spike said. "You're the girl around here, unless you count bits of hyena-boy over there-" Xander mock-growled at him. "-So you'll be getting a bed."

"Yes, Daddy." Tara's soft voice teased, shocking Xander and Spike into silence. 

"I think we're having a bad influence on her, love." Spike finally whispered. The vampire had a glint in his eye that said he was very satisfied by this factor. He slipped his arm around Tara's waist and pulled her toward the sofa. "Come along, Tara, let's destroy that bloody brilliant mind with television."

Soon the sounds of Passions drifted through the apartment, all thanks to the DVD set that Xander had bought for Spike. For a brief second he regretted the purchase. The sounds of Spike cursing at the television during all hours of the night often times kept him up. But his mate was happy, and that's what mattered.

Shooting Spike and Tara a smile, Xander made his way to the glass door leading to the porch. In the light of the half-moon he could see Oz sitting on the ground, legs in the lotus position. At first glance a person would think he was meditating, but Xander knew better. The tension in the werewolf's back was obvious. Quietly, Xander slipped out onto the porch and shut the door behind him. He stood a moment, completely silent, before being shocked by Oz speaking.

"Complicated." Oz said, opening his eyes. "Sometimes I wonder if controlling the wolf is too complicated."

"Does it work?" Xander asked, sitting down next to him. "Controlling it, I mean."

"The monks said I had too much anger inside." Oz replied. "That I need to get control of that anger, but... The anger is the wolf."

"Animals don't liked to be caged." Xander commented. There was a pause, before Oz looked over at him.

"What happened?" Xander didn't have to ask him what he meant. Just as Xander could recognize some primal being within Oz, no doubt the werewolf could do the same with him.

"Hyena." Xander stated. "She was stuck inside me for... God, it feels like forever. Stuff happened and now she's out. I don't keep her locked up anymore, and she's not like she once was. There is no anger."

"Sometimes I want to unlock the cage." Oz admitted, with a sardonic smile. "But it doesn't work that way."

"Doesn't it?" Xander asked.

"I could hurt people." Was Oz's reply. The werewolf looked down at his dirty Vans, before leaning forward to pick a piece of encrusted dirt off the sole. Sighing, Oz tossed the clump of dirt away, before brushing off it's remains from his black-painted nails. "I don't... After what happened with Veruca, I spent a lot of time thinking."

"Hmm... Because you don't do that enough." Xander commented. Oz shot him a look and Xander gave him a smile. "Sorry. I'm all primal and... Hyena-ish, but I still say some pretty silly things sometimes."

"You wouldn't be Xander if you didn't." Oz told him with a smile.

"So, thinking." Xander prompted. Behind them he could hear Tara giggling. Unable to control himself, a grin flittered across his face.

"Hmm." Oz glanced over his shoulder and at the living room within, before turning to look at the sky. The partial light of the moon caused his face to look almost blue. "Veruca was all pain and... Destruction. I don't want to become that."

"Whose to say you will?" Xander asked. "I mean, think about it for a moment. That Veruca chick tried to kill Willow. She told me what happened that night. You showed up and instead of helping Veruca attack Willow, like the wolf-bitch would have wanted you to do, you killed Veruca. That's the difference, Oz. Veruca was jaded. She thought she was following the wolf's corruption, but she wasn't. All that deceit and anger wasn't the wolf, it was her. She just used the wolf to her advantage."

"Then what about me." Oz said. It was hardly a question, more like a statement that a teacher put on an exam to throw you off course. Xander was never very good at tests, and therefore chose to take it as a question.

"Animals are nothing like humans." Xander informed him. "They don't get jealous or feel the need to hurt someone else just because, well, because they can. Animals are pure instinct. Love, hate, happiness. It's all instinct. But hate, with no reason? That's not an animal. That's a human. Animals hate because someone or something threatens the pack. Or threatens a mate. Not because someone gets in your way, or because someone else got that raise at work."

"You think the anger within me isn't the wolf." Oz summarized, glancing at him.

"No, it's the wolf. But it's not blind anger." Xander said, his eyes locking with Oz's. "You don't need to control it, Oz. You just need to make it happy."

Later, when Oz expressed the desire to remain outside and Tara had fallen asleep on the sofa, Xander pulled Spike towards their room, swallowing the vampire's questions with his mouth. Not one to give up a chance for a little fun, Spike quickly shut up and set about undressing them. They tumbled onto the bed, naked. Their bodies were already slicked with sweat from their desperate activity, their gasps echoing through the room. A soft purr, gravel-like and yet erotic, emitted from Xander's throat as their cocks rubbed against one another.

It was like a dance that Xander always felt the desire to participate in. The feel of Spike's body against his. The small whimpers that escaped Spike's throat when Xander licked his neck. The way Spike cursed under his breath when Xander entered him. It was the same, nearly every time, but like an ageless dance he always desired it. Sure, they mixed it up on occasion, but the hyena wasn't one for kink. The hyena was content and happy just to have Spike there, wantonly arching his back during orgasm.

Afterwards, they lay in bed holding one another. Spike's blue eyes remained alert and wide-awake, as they usually did when the sun was hiding. Xander's were half closed, but his mind was dancing with thoughts and suggestions, some as boring as 'Did I leave the oven on?' but most were enjoyable. With a needless sigh, Spike rested his head against his mate's.

"What's with the pup?" Spike asked, his voice sounding loud in the quiet night. 

"Apparently a complication as come up." Xander muttered, his voice sounding on the verge of sleep. For a moment, he thanked whatever god that was out there that it was the weekend. As much as he enjoyed construction work, it took a lot out of him. "He's tired of bouncing between the wolf and himself."

"Then fix it." Spike looked up at him with a smirk. "You got all happy with your hyena, didn't you?"

"But that was different-" Xander started.

"Not really, pet." Spike interrupted. "You'd be the best one out there to teach him to unlock the wolf's cage. Get Tara to help you. It would get her mind off of the whole problem with Red. Let her do some of that fancy aura work of hers."

"It's not that simple." Xander said. "Tara can read our auras because she knows us. She doesn't really know Oz."

"She'll get to know him." Spike replied, simply.

"You're not going to let this go until I do it, are you?" Xander asked with a defeated sigh.

"Like you would deny the pup, anyway." Spike snorted.

"I could!" Xander insisted. Spike stared at him a moment, before snickering. Growling, Xander rolled them until he had the vampire pinned underneath him. Leaning closer to Spike's laughing face, Xander allowed a slow grin to develop on his own. "Tsk. Tsk. You should learn to respect the Alpha."

"Alpha, my arse." Spike replied, the tip of his tongue sticking out between his teeth. Xander could feel Spike's fingers trailing down his side and fought back a giggle from the ticklish sensation.

"Well, I suppose your arse could be considered Alpha." Xander mused. "It appears to be the center of this relationship."

"And I thought you liked me for my wonderful mind." Spike pouted.

"Nope." Xander slipped a hand down to squeeze Spike's buttocks. Spike squirmed underneath him. "It's all about the ass."

"Oh, bugger off." Spike ordered. Like a snake, he slithered out from underneath Xander and off of the bed. Xander fell onto his side and watched as his mate pulled on a pair of jeans. 

"Where are you going?" Xander asked, suddenly fighting a yawn.

"Need a smoke, pet." Spike replied. He sent Xander a smile. "Get some sleep."

Spike couldn't help but smirk when he heard Xander grumble something about having to sleep without his mate by his side. Humming some cryptic sounding tune to himself, Spike slipped out of the bedroom and down the hall to the living room. Even in the darkness, his eyesight allowed him to see everything as though it were day. Tara was still curled up on the sofa, one arm dangling off. 

Spike, along with Xander, couldn't help but feel a connection to the blonde witch. With a soft smile, he quickly grabbed a blanket from the hall closet. There was something about Tara that simply gave off rolls of some sort of feeling that Spike usually only associated with Xander. The demon side of him identified it with that of a clan, that of a pack. None the less, whatever this connection between them was, it left him with a constant desire to keep her save. 

And she would be safe, no matter what. That vow made, Spike carefully covered her with the blanket before heading toward the porch's glass door.

Oz still sat on the ground, arms wrapped around his knees. Spike couldn’t help but wonder if he had moved once in the past couple of hours. Surely his legs were cramping? The thought was pushed away. Xander, in the last few months, had been known to handle things that most humans wouldn't be able to withstand, but a vampire like Spike could and sometimes enjoyed. Perhaps, the ability sit, cramped up and small, was pure animal.

Spike slipped through the door, closing it softly so he wouldn't wake Tara. His cigarette dangled from his mouth as he lit it. Oz didn't move. Taking in a deep drag of the sweet and yet harsh nicotine, Spike finally spoke. "It's going to get cold."

"Yes. It does that." Oz replied, his voice sounding in desperate need of water.

"You should come inside." Spike said in offering.

"That girl... Tara?" Oz's green eyes slowly slid up to look at Spike. "She smells like Willow."

"Hmm, for now." Spike agreed. He eyed the werewolf a moment, before leaning against the wood railing and watching the smoke drift upwards from the tip of his cigarette. "They broke up. Tonight... Well, yesterday. Hasn't had time to take a shower, to get rid of the scent."

Oz merely nodded.

"Xander..." Spike paused a moment, searching for a way to phrase his words. "Xander's going to help you."

"Help me." Oz repeated.

"Yeah. With the wolf." Spike raised an eyebrow. "He knows how to work with stuff like that, you know. He's a lot smarter than some believe."

"I know."

"He'll help." Spike nodded to himself. "If you want it, that is."

"I think..." Oz paused long enough to let go of his legs and stretch them out. His knees popped in protest. With a sigh, he looked back up at Spike. "I think I would like that."


	3. Chapter 3

Spike was the first to notice the change. Four days after Oz's appearance and Tara's break up with Willow, they had finally stepped into the Magic Box. In only four simple days, things had changed. It was obvious the moment they sat down to research some strange demon that -- and here was the part that caused Xander to make that cute little growl -- Riley and the Initiative was having trouble identifying.

Giles, ever the present father-figure, sat off to the side and between the two groups. On one side, along the wall, sat Buffy and Riley. The couple cuddled up together, hardly paying attention to the upside down book in their hands. Willow sat next to Buffy, a stack of books in front of her. Every once in a while, Willow's eyes would dart toward Tara and then Oz, followed by a heavy sigh. Spike, in all honesty, didn't feel at all sorry for her. Some might consider that cruel, but Spike was, well, Spike.

At the other side of the table, sat the others. It was obvious which group was enhanced by some sort of primal intuition, because they chose the side of the table that didn't back them into a wall. Xander sat next to Spike, pretending to read, but mostly watching Spike. Spike sat next to him, his reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose. While he was in fact reading, it wasn't for the Slayer's benefit. Tucked into the large book, was a small paperback book: The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice. Every once in a while, the sounds of Spike fighting down laughter could be heard. Next to Spike was Tara, who, unlike her companions, was actually researching. Oz sat next to her, his books consisting mostly of werewolf lore.

"This is boring." Buffy muttered, after what seemed like eternity.

"I must say, I'm not finding anything." Giles announced, closing his book. He turned to Riley. "Are you sure you have the details right?"

"Forrest said it was pretty dark." Riley admitted. "It was humanoid, but with black eyes and fangs. Apparently it was pretty hairy as well. It put up quite a fight, but managed to run off."

"When did this happen, anyway?" Xander asked. 

"Around five days ago."

Xander paused, taking in the sudden scent of shock and fear that drifted his way. Fighting to keep his expression neutral, he turned to look at Oz. The werewolf's face was void of any expression, but Xander could see the whites of his knuckles as he gripped the book before him.

"Say, who's up for some coffee?" Xander asked.

"Oh, I could so go for a latte." Buffy said.

"Right, well, empty the pockets and get me a list." Xander ordered, standing. He ignored the startled look Spike sent him. Xander had hardly played errand boy for the others since the hyena repossession. It was quite a shock to see him volunteer to get coffee for everyone. After Xander gathered the money and list, he turned to Oz. "Want to help me carry everything?"

"Sure." Oz replied.

The walk from the Magic Box to the coffee shop was made in blessed silence. It wasn't until they were making their way back that Xander found himself asking the question that had been weighing on his mind. "He was talking about you, wasn't he?"

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Xander glanced over, watching Oz's tense back. "I didn't know you could change at any time."

"I can't." Oz replied. He fingered the paper tray in his hands, reading the labels on each cup in order to occupy his mind. "I... The meditation opens up something... I can't describe it, but afterwards I'm really sensitive to outer stimuli."

"So, you had just meditated before being attacked by that Forrest guy?"

"Hmm." Oz nodded. "He didn't exactly attack me. But he... Brought out my defenses. He didn't attack until after I had changed."

"I see." Xander paused at the door to the Magic Box, turning to look directly at Oz. He waited until the werewolf glanced up at him before continuing. "This is good, you know. That means we don't have to search for your trigger."

"Trigger." Oz repeated, eyes looking inquisitive.

"Spike had a trigger that merged his soul with his demon." Xander told him. "It's easier to use a trigger, than a spell like they did on me." Oz gave a small nod in reply. "Look, I can honestly say I haven't a clue as to how we are going to do this. I'm hoping that what worked before, will work again."

"It's okay." Oz told him, his lips twitching into a slight smile. "I'm willing to try anything."

After the coffee was given to their respective drinkers, the research party continued on for about an hour more. Finally, Buffy started getting restless and dragged Riley out to patrol. Her departure soon led to everyone else going home for the night. Oz calmly accepted the silent invitation to return to their apartment. 

"I should go back to the dorm." Tara replied, when Spike had asked if she was coming with them. "I'm sure Willow has moved back in with Buffy by now. Besides, Oz shouldn't have to sleep on the floor."

"Are you sure?" Xander asked. "You know we love having-"

"Thank you." Tara said softly, her voice cutting Xander off. "But, I'll be okay."

"I'm following her." Spike stated, once Tara had disappeared around the corner. He grabbed Xander's arm and gave him a light kiss.

"You know she can take care of herself, Spike." Xander commented when they separated. Spike raised an almost mocking eyebrow at him. Xander paused, thinking briefly of the things that prowled Sunnydale. Without realizing it, he started growling. "Kill anything that looks at her."

"My pleasure, Xan." Spike literally purred. Xander watched him leave, the vampire's black duster billowing in the mild wind.

"You two really care for her." Oz said. Xander glanced over his shoulder at him, a smile gracing his features.

"Yeah. She's... She kept us together when we almost fell apart." Xander replied. With a sigh, Xander started walking toward home. "The full moon is in about five days."

"Yes."

"When do you want to start working on the wolf?" Xander asked. "We actually have time tonight, if you'd like. We can go into the woods. Or at least the edge of the woods. I've never really felt comfortable in there."

"I'm rather fond of them." Oz commented.

"Yeah, what with you being a wolf and all." Xander replied with a grin. "I'm more of a plains guy, myself. ...So. Do you? Want to start tonight, that is?" Xander glanced at his watch. "It's only about eleven, after all. Normally Scooby business keeps us up until one at the earliest."

"I'm open for it." Oz informed him. "I'm kind of open to anything right now."

The woods had a habit of looking one of two things. Mystical came to mind. It had that foggy look, as though some mystical creature, like a unicorn, may suddenly step between two trees. Not that Xander had ever seen a unicorn. In fact, he had a feeling if he had seen a unicorn then he probably would be urged to hunt it down and slaughter it. Such was the ways of a dominant beast like himself, after all. The other thing the woods reminded him of was 'scary as all hell'. 

But Xander had long ago learned to take fear, and laugh in it's face. Because, really, he was stronger than the average human now. He had better senses, instincts, and a master vampire as a mate. Most of the demons in Sunnydale ignored him. The vampires tended to torment him a bit, but they were gluttons for pain.

The moon made itself known, pushing it's way through the treetops in order to shine down upon them. Every once in a while, Oz would glance skyward. They finally reached a tiny parting in the trees. It wasn't large enough to be called a clearing, but there was enough room for what they had come there to do. Oz immediately sat down, sitting in a lotus position. Xander sat down in front of him.

"What do you picture when you meditate?" Xander asked.

"It's..." Oz glanced away, the expression on his face looking almost nervous. "There's a lake and a cave. The sky is cloudy, but you can see some stars."

"What about the moon?" 

"There is no moon." Oz replied.

"I thought so." Xander paused, gathering his thoughts. He had been thinking about the situation with Oz for some time now. Every since Spike had volunteered his help, at least. He hadn't approached Oz until tonight to start working, mostly because he didn't really know what would help. That was until he remembered what it had felt like to be inside his mind, with the hyena in control. "You're emotions are your trigger."

Oz tilted his in response.

"I think it could be any emotion, really, but the strong ones work the best." Xander continued. "When you got attacked, your fear had triggered the change. Your emotion was so... Strong, it bypassed the gate. The thing that holds the wolf in."

"What should I do, then?"

"You need to destroy the gate. The cage. The... Whatever." Xander replied. "Mine was a cage. Inside my head. Kind of like a cage at the zoo. Hell, that's probably why. The hyena hates the zoo, and so do I..." Xander shook his head slightly. "Listen to me. I'm talking about us as though we are separate beings. I forget sometimes, that we're one and the same. It's easier to separate us."

"I understand." And Xander knew that Oz did understand.

"What controls you, Oz?" Xander asked. "What takes away your ability to accept the wolf as who you are, a part of you that won't go away? What cages you?"

There was a long pause, before Oz met his eyes. "The moon."

"I thought so." Xander took a deep breath. "Why do you let it control you?"

"I'm a werewolf... It's kind of inevitable." Oz replied.

"You've never been one to conform to normal standards, Oz." Xander pointed out. Oz looked away, his eyes closing. "What was it about Veruca that made you look at her, instead of Willow?"

"Have you been reading psychology books?" Oz asked, smiling slightly. His eyes still didn't open, almost as though he were trying to block everything out.

"Don't let it get out." Xander chuckled. "I wouldn't want to destroy my goofy personae."

"Hmm."

"So, answer me." Xander said. He watched as Oz's fingers, with their now blue nails, picked at the hem of his pant leg.

"Willow's not..." Oz sighed and finally opened his eyes. "She's not dominant. Veruca was... Powerful, despite her faults. It appealed to me."

"Your wolf is submissive, then." Xander surmised. "You say that the moon controls you, and yet when Veruca was around you were in control. Sure, you don't remember it, but I'll bet the wolf was at the edge of your mind the entire time you were around her."

"That's why I went away." Oz said. "I knew that I was unstable... I didn't want Willow to get hurt, just because my wolf had a problem with our relationship."

"Understandable." Xander nodded. There was a pause, in which Xander looked up to the half-covered moon. It's blue-silver rays shifted between the leaves, until it reached their forms. "The moon is..."

"My mistress." Oz finished.

"She dominates you, because you have no one else to do the job for her." Xander stated. "I think... Oz, have you ever been in contact with a werewolf pack?"

"No." Oz replied. "There was one in Michigan that I was going to check out, but I came back here instead."

"I wonder..." Xander frowned slightly. "I wonder if the werewolves in that pack are controlled by the lunar cycle."

"Aren't they all?" Oz asked. "Giles said that all werewolves were."

"Yeah, but... No offense to Giles, but his information is from the Watcher's Council." Xander pointed out. "I highly doubt packs give much information to Watchers."

"I suppose we could call them up." Oz offered. "I've got their number from this mage in Tibet."

"Oz, our worldly little wolf." Xander grinned as he stood, brushing the dirt off his pants. Oz gave a slight smirk and stood as well. "Well, we'll contact the pack and ask. If they aren't controlled by the lunar cycles, then maybe all you need is a pack to severe your ties to the moon."

"Where would I find a pack?" Oz asked, more to himself than Xander.

Xander sighed, before stepping toward Oz. The werewolf looked up, startled, as Xander grabbed his arm in a strong grip. Xander's nose flared, taking in Oz's scent. "You're welcome in mine, Oz."

Oz gave a shaky nod, but didn't try to pull his arm from Xander's hold. They remained like that, eyes locked and their bodies almost pressed against each other, for some time. Then Xander tilted his head, his hearing picking up the sound of footsteps. About four men, coming their way. Xander gave Oz a hard look, indicating he should remain quiet, before turning toward the newcomers and half-blocking the view of Oz with his body. The sight of Riley, clad in commando gear, brought a deep growl to his throat.

"Xander!" Riley came to a halt, the other soldiers stopping behind him. "What are you doing here?"

"Just out for a little stroll." Xander replied, eyes narrowed. "Where's Buffy?"

"Dorms." Riley said nervously. "She has a test in the morning."

"We don't have time for this." One of the other men insisted.

"Forrest is right." Riley agreed. Xander's lip curled at the sound of his name. Looking past Riley, he took in the hard faced black man. That was the man that had attacked Oz. Forrest eyed him, before turning his attention to Oz. Xander fought down a growl as Forrest frowned at the sight of the werewolf. Trying hard to control his anger, Xander ignored Riley, and started walking away. Oz said nothing, merely following.

Oz crawled into the pull out bed that night, mind soaring with thoughts. The idea of a pack was, admittedly, wonderful. Even as he listened to Spike and Xander's love making in the next room, he knew he didn't want to leave. Now matter how little sleep he got. With a sigh, Oz let his head fall back onto the pillow, where he was immediately engulfed in the most wonderful scent.

Soft. Gentle. Something close to lavender. But mostly it was power. Pure, untainted power. It set off such a strong vibe, overpowering Oz's own inner strength and merely taking over him. Breathing in a strong gulp, Oz found himself getting hard just from the smell. It could have been the pheromones drifting in from the bedroom, but Oz knew that wasn't true. It was that heavenly scent, trapped in the sheet and pillow, obviously from the night before. And with that thought, Oz realized who it was he was smelling.

It was Tara.


	4. Chapter 4

Xander forced himself to ignore Spike, who was currently pressed up against his back. On a normal morning, if Spike was still feeling playful, they would have sex on the kitchen table. But, Xander was not the type to have sex in front of someone else. With a sigh, Xander maneuvered his way around the kitchen, pretending to not feel Spike's hand caressing his lower stomach. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Oz talking softly into the phone.

"Spike, stop." Xander ordered, fighting down a chuckle as his mate merely grinned and pinched his arse.

"Uh-uh. Don't want to." Spike pouted.

"It's daylight out. Go sleep." Xander said, trying not to spill his orange juice.

"Hmm." Spike started, before suddenly straightening up. Xander turned his head as he picked up the soft sound of footsteps outside their door. Oz glanced at the front door from his spot at the kitchen entrance, before glancing back at them. A second later, a gentle knock was heard.

Xander was perfectly aware that it was Tara, long before he opened the door. Her scent was so familiar to him, that of magical electricity and lavender, that he would always be able to recognize it. It was the sight of her, however, that had him stunned to silence. She looked like she hadn't slept at all. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair was nothing but messy tangles, and she wore only a pair of sweat pants and a tank top. 

Xander had actually seen Tara in this sort of outfit before, so it wasn't nearly as shocking as the emotion radiating off her in bursts. He had never seen her this angry before, not even when she had argued with Willow. Her eyes were narrowed, her hands pulled into fists. The magic around her seemed to crackle as Spike pulled her into the living room.

"Bloody hell, pet." Spike said softly, guiding her to the sofa. "What happened?"

"What happened? What happened!" Tara exclaimed, pulling out of Spike's hold to pace. She took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself. "She... I can't believe she actually..."

"Tara?" Xander reached out to touch her.

"No!" Tara jerked away, pressing her palms against her eyes. With a defeated sigh, she sat down on the sofa. Her shoulder shook slightly, a sign that she was on the verge of crying. "I can't believe Willow would..."

"What did Willow do?" Xander asked. He slowly kneeled in front of Tara. "What happened?"

"She..." Tara shuddered, looking up. Her eyes darted around the room, pausing briefly on Oz. The werewolf was slowly hanging up the phone, his eyes locked on her. Tara let out a noise in the back of her throat, before pulling something out of her pocket. Carefully, she set it on the coffee table.

"What is that?" Spike asked, taking a step back. The small, red-colored sachet set off a strange vibe, which he instinctively wanted to get away from.

"It's..." Tara bit her lip. "It's a love spell. It was under my pillow. It... It makes whoever sleeps over it fall in love with it's creator."

"Oh, Tara." Xander whispered, pulling her into a hug. "I'm so sorry."

"It's really over." Tara said, her voice cracking. She rested her forehead against Xander's shoulder, her tears creating wet blotches on his shirt. "A part of me didn't want to believe it, but... It really is over. I'll never be able to trust her again."

"Shhh, it'll be okay." Xander told her, rubbing her back. "You're with family now."

"Thank you." Tara replied, burying her face briefly into his neck, before pulling away. She discreetly wiped at her eyes. She sent Spike a shaky smile and he grinned. "Family, huh?

"Family." Spike nodded. Xander smiled in agreement, before turning toward Oz, who stood in the doorway

"What did you find out?" Xander asked.

"You were right." Oz stated. He forced his eyes away from Tara, only to stare at the floor instead. "They have complete control over the change."

"I figured." Xander said, yawning. He grabbed Spike's arm and pulled him toward the master bedroom. "Come on, Blondie. Let's go get some extra shut eye. You two can watch television or something if you want."

"I don't think you really want to sleep." Spike informed him as they shut the door. The vampire reached out and fingered the drawstring of Xander's pants, looking up at him with a leer. "Eh, pet?"

"Do you only think of sex?" Xander asked, in mock exasperation.

"'Course not." Spike replied. "Think about blood and violence, as well." His leer turned into a grin. "But you like me like that, don't you? Like watching me fight and kill."

"You're naughty." Xander said, stepping forward in order to press his body against Spike's. Xander took a deep breath, breathing in Spike's sent, before nuzzling his cheek. "Love you."

"I love you, too." Spike whispered. Spike slipped his arms around Xander's neck, pulling him into a kiss. Their tongues immediately met, grazing teeth that seemed sharp to the touch. Xander made a deep noise in the back of his throat, a mix between a whine and groan. Taking a last nip at Spike's lower lip, Xander pulled away.

"I wanted to talk to you." Xander said, his voice low with what Spike recognized as desire.

"About what?" Spike asked, threading his hands through Xander's hair and massaging his scalp. 

"The full moon." Xander replied, his eyes half-closing in contentment. A soft, gravel-like purr erupted from his chest as Spike leaned forward to kiss his neck. "We need to talk about Oz."

"Hmm, and? What about the pup?" Spike's voice was soft, his stolen breath causing Xander to shiver.

"I have to spend the night with him." Xander explained. "He has to be... Dominated and accepted into our pack." Xander paused, pulling his head back to look Spike in the eye. "I want you there. If... If you want to be. I don't think... Well, I want the wolf to understand that he'll be below my mate as well as me."

"I'd like that, love." Spike said, giving Xander a genuine smile. "How do you want to go about it, though? I don't know about you, but... Well, in vampire clans the leader usually just shags and kicks everyone until they bare their neck in submission."

"No." Xander sighed and shook his head. "I don't want to be like that. With Buffy it was easy, I just held her down until she pushed away her own pride. With Oz? I think he just needs to be aware of our strength for it to work. Of course, I'll have to bite him."

"You naughty hyena, you." Spike accused, grinning. "Biting the poor little pup."

"Hmm, it's not that bad." Xander smirked slightly. "You seem to enjoy it."

"Oi, none of that kind." Spike narrowed his eyes. 

"Yes, master." Xander's eyes practically glowed with amusement. He wasn't worried about Spike's small surge of jealousy, though. He was comfortable in their relationship, and he knew Spike understood that Xander only wanted him. Still, it was nice to get his mate worked up every once in a while.

"Come on, pet." Spike wiggled his eyebrows. "Let's get some rest."

"Rest, huh?" Xander grinned, pushing his mate gently toward the bed. Xander took hold of the belt loops of Spike's jeans, being the only clothing he was wearing. He leaned down for a kiss, lightly grazing his lips against Spike's.

Spike made a small noise in the back of his throat, before deepening the kiss. The vampire's legs hit the bed, before he allowed himself to fall back. Xander tumbled down on top of him, their mouths refusing to separate. Finally, Xander pulled back for a breath, before diving back down to Spike's neck and sucking hard. Spike let out a low groan, his hips jerking forward.

Clothing was quickly pulled away, leaving their bodies bare and pressing against one another. Xander slipped an arm around Spike's waist, lifting him and scooting them until they were resting fully on the bed. Xander let out a soft moan as their hard cocks pressed against one another. Their lips crashed together once more. Tongues twisted around one another, teeth bit down on lower lips. Spike's arms wrapped tightly around Xander's neck and shoulders.

Xander kept his arm around Spike's waist, pulling him into a hard, thrusting rhythm. Their cocks glided against one another, sweat and pre-come easing the way. Spike's leg hooked itself around one of Xander's, the other leg stretching out in order to give them more room to move. Pants and groans began filling the air.

It didn't take long for them to reach orgasm. Their cries of completion erupted into the air, before Xander collapsed on top of Spike. Spike let out a soft hum of contentment, his arms pulling Xander closer. Xander used the last of his energy to kiss Spike lightly on the chest, right above his unbeating heart.

"Mmmm, happy place." Xander purred. Spike chuckled softly in reply. "We should probably clean up."

"Later." Spike said, tightening his hold around Xander.

"Got to breathe, hun." Xander squeaked.

"Annoying habit, that is." Spike informed him. He released Xander in favor of threading his fingers through his mate's hair. Xander smiled against his chest, nuzzling it slightly.

They dozed for a bit longer, before Xander found himself wide awake. He took a moment to watch Spike sleep, the vampire now curled up on his side, one hand stretching towards Xander's side of the bed. With a small smile, Xander pulled on some clothes and made his way into the living room.

It was there that he found the most adorable sight he had ever laid eyes on.

The television was on, some forgotten movie playing at a loud volume -- most likely to cover Spike and Xander's noise. Tara and Oz were on the sofa, fast asleep. That, of course, wasn't the cute part. Through, the soft little noises Tara made as she dreamed certainly was sweet, the thing that hit Xander the hardest was their position.

Somehow, possibly after they had fallen asleep, the two had gravitated towards one another. They were now curled up on the sofa together, Oz's arms wrapped around Tara's waist. It struck Xander as strange that they look so... Perfect there. Like the two were meant to cuddle. Oz's hand resting on her hip. Tara's head pressed against his shoulder. They simply... Fit.

Unable to stop the grin that spread across his face, Xander darted back to the bedroom and began digging in his dresser. His happiness was mostly because the idea of the two newest members of his pack being a couple sent little jolts of contentment through his inner animal. But it was also because this was a perfect picture opportunity.

"What are you doing?" Spike mumbled from the bed. His sleep-filled eyes cracked open slightly to watch his mate pull out a digital camera.

"Come see!" Xander said, trying not to bounce. Spike grumbled under his breath as Xander grabbed his ankle and began tugging him out of the bed. With a sigh, he got up and pulled on some pants, before stumbling after his lover.

He entered the living room to find Xander rapidly taking picture after picture of Tara and Oz, who somehow managed to remain fast asleep. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed the camera out of Xander's hands. "Let them sleep, yeah? Besides, save some for when they wake up."

"You don't look surprised." Xander stated, frowning slightly. "Why aren't you surprised?"

"Should I be?" Spike asked, genuinely confused. He headed back to the bedroom, stripped back down, and fell into a lazy sprawl across the bed. Xander followed, closing the door softly behind him. Spike watched him shuffled around the room a moment, before speaking. "I guess I'm more observant than you."

"I observe." Xander insisted.

"Yeah." Spike smiled, wiggling around in order to get under the covers. "You observe, but you tend to get involved as well."

"Like you don't? I wasn't the one that followed Tara home, killing a total of fifteen vampires along the way." Xander pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah." Spike rolled his eyes. "Fine. I get involved. But only with Tara. I haven't really done that much with Oz, just observed."

"Hmm." Xander walked over and sat down on the bed. "And what have you observed?"

"Every time she walks into the room, his eyes immediately lock on her." Spike said softly. "Kind of like you do with me. Remember, love? The way you used to watch me, your eyes filled with lust and love and the desire to simply... Own me."

"I do." Xander leaned down to kiss him lightly. "Own you that is."

"Own you right back."

"Yeah." Xander said with a happy sigh. "You do."


	5. Chapter 5

The courtship of Tara and Oz was rather interesting to watch, if Spike was completely honest. It was almost as though the two weren’t aware that they were doing it. After waking up from their cuddly nap, they had avoided one another fervently. Then, Xander had literally ordered Tara to gather her things and move in with them. Briefly, Spike wondered if his lover was insane. They didn’t have enough room for all four of them. But the pack mentality that Xander seemed to own could not be questioned.

It was Oz that took Tara to the dorms for her to get her things. What they did during this time, Spike couldn’t honestly say. However, when they returned, they each held one another’s scent. Spike knew that they hadn’t done anything sexual, for the only thing resembling the smell of sex was the slight mist of desire that seemed to envelope Oz every time he looked at the witch.

The main difference, Spike noticed, between the way Tara and Oz gravitated toward one another and the way a normal relationship was developed, was it was done silently. Like it was all prepared and set up in the back of their mind. There was no denial or debate. Spike didn’t know how to react to it, in all honesty. With Xander, their courtship had been passionate and almost to a point of violence. 

Tara seemed completely unaware of the effect she had on the werewolf. It was the look in Oz’s eyes, and the fact that he didn’t understand it himself, that caused Spike to bring it up with Xander. He figured if anyone could understand the werewolf it would be Xander.

“Have you noticed how close those two are getting?” Spike asked, his head resting in Xander’s lap as they pretended to watch television. In the kitchen, Tara and Oz were busy doing the dishes. 

“You mean the fact that Oz is following her around like a lost puppy?” Xander asked in an amused voice. “It’s kind of sweet.”

“Well, as long as he doesn’t hurt her…” Spike said in a warning. He could almost feel Xander roll his eyes.

“He won’t.” Xander said softly. “I think… Nah, never mind.”

“No, tell me.” Spike insisted. He opened his eyes and looked up into Xander’s face. His mate was frowning slightly, deep in thought.

“I’m probably wrong.” Xander informed him.

“But you’re usually not. Not when it comes to this sort of thing, anyway.” Spike pointed out. Then added, with a teasing smile. “My smart little hyena.”

“It all comes down to pack, you know.” Xander said, his voice still soft. His fingers began threading themselves through Spike’s hair. 

“We’re Oz’s pack now.” Spike stated.

“A pack isn’t complete without a mate, Spike.” Xander informed him. “I don’t know if that’s what Tara is for him, but if she is… Well, hopefully Tara will be okay with it.”

“Would kind of fit, wouldn’t it?” Spike commented. “The four of us, each paired off.”

“Hmm, yes.” Xander tugged gently at Spike’s hair. Taking the hint, Spike sat up and moved to curl up against his side. With a smile, Spike kissed him lightly on the lips. “Let them figure it out, okay?” 

Less than a week later, on the day of the full moon, Tara found herself in the living room with Oz. This wasn’t the most unusual of events. Oz had taken it upon himself to be near her at all times. Tara, though a part of her was almost fearful of the intensity in Oz’s eyes, couldn’t help but be flattered by the attention. This afternoon, however, seemed different than most. For one, Oz looked nervous – an expression that really didn’t suit him.

“Tara?” Oz asked, glancing over at her. Tara turned in her seat, in order to give him her full attention. “It’s kind of strange, because I have this strong desire to tell you something. Only, I’m scared of how you will react.”

“You can tell me anything, Oz.” Tara replied. And she truly believed that. There was something about the young werewolf that just… Hit her. It was strange and new, but comfortable.

“I want you to know…” Oz took a deep breath and seemed to have to force himself to look into her eyes. “I would do anything for you.”

The statement shocked Tara. That was the last thing she had expected him to say. A feeling of contentment washed over her at the words, but at the same time she fought it. She had no clue as to what he meant, though deep down she had a small idea. Gulping, Tara forced herself to speak. “What do you mean?”

“The wolf – I mean, me.” Oz paused and took another breath. After a moment’s thought, he scooted down the sofa toward her. Tara couldn’t help but notice how much warmer his body was compared to hers. “I feel a little foolish here.”

“Don’t.” Tara said. She felt captivated by his gaze. It was a feeling that she had never experienced before. Just by looking at her, Oz kept her from even thinking about moving away. “Just… Talk.”

“I’m not known for talking.” Oz admitted.

“I won’t tell anyone.” Tara gave him a light smile.

“I meant what I said.” Oz started. “I would do anything for you. I… The wolf wants you.” Tara blushed slightly as Oz continued. “We would submit to you fully, Tara. We would love you and give you everything you ever wanted, if only it meant being called your mate.”

“I…” Tara blinked and forced herself to look away. “Oz, I… Why? I don’t understand.”

“I’ve never met anyone like you. Even Willow…” Oz glanced down. “There’s something about you that I can’t describe. You’re… You’re everything, Tara.”

“No, I’m not.” Tara replied, shaking her head. “I’m not much of anything.”

“You’re wrong.” Oz said, his voice stern. “You are everything. You hold a power over me that even I can’t understand. You’re so strong, Tara.” Tara started to shake her head again, but stopped when Oz spoke again. “I can’t tell you why, because I don’t know myself, but… I’m yours for the taking.”

“Oz…” Tara closed her eyes a moment, before meeting his eyes. “I don’t know how to take this. I… I had always thought Willow was my m-mate.”

“Funny, so did I.” Oz gave her a sardonic smile. The smile fell away, and Oz scooted a little closer. His thigh was now flush against Tara’s, bringing another blush to her cheeks. When he spoke again, his voice was almost a growl. “Tara? May I have one kiss?”

Oz didn’t move forward, waiting from some sign from her. Instead of answering, Tara found herself moving toward him. Their lips met in a soft brush. Oz remained very still, giving Tara full reign of the kiss. Shocking even herself, Tara pressed her mouth against his in a hard kiss. A strange reaction went through her as she rested her hands on Oz’s shoulders. The kiss was pleasurable, but there was more to it. 

It felt like a part of her was crumbling apart, and then rebuilding itself. She couldn’t figure out what it was that was happening, but she knew one thing: She wanted to kiss Oz forever. And as Oz’s parted his lips, she immediately slipped her tongue into his mouth. 

Kissing a guy was different than kissing a girl. Girls were soft and almost always tasted like their lipstick or lip-gloss. Boys were still soft, but angled and hard at the same time. They tasted like musk, like nature. Or maybe that was just Oz. It had to be Oz, because as she tasted him, she could taste the moon itself.

When Oz had said he would submit to her, she didn’t think he meant literally. And yet, there they were. Tara was completely dominating the kiss, setting the pace and taking control of the situation. Unable to control the passion that was suddenly filling her veins, Tara pressed gently on Oz’s chest. He took the soft hint, falling onto his back. She leaned over him, pressing her body against his and delving her tongue deeper into the recess of his mouth.

And this was how Spike found them. Night was falling, and by all standards Oz should have already been locked up. Instead, there he was on the sofa, with Tara on top of him. Spike could only stare, with wide eyes. He had never seen Tara like this before. He had always appreciated her beauty, but it was mostly from a brotherly perspective. To see Tara completely dominating the werewolf, and Oz complying to her every command in return, was oddly erotic.

“Hey, Spike, we should get-“ Xander stopped, his jaw dropping. With a squeak of surprise, Tara literally fell off the sofa. Spike couldn’t help but notice how red her lips look, then quickly felt a little uncomfortable for thinking about how hot it made her look. “Holy moley.”

“Umm, we… That is, I.” Tara stopped herself from babbling and took a deep breath. “So, where is it that you guys are going?”

“Woods. I figured that was the safest bet.” Xander said, his face still carrying a high degree of shock.

“Okay.” Tara gave them a shaky smile and turned to Oz, who was staring at her with a look of what Spike could only describe as complete devotion. It was rather sickening. At least, it would have been, if Spike weren’t aware that he had that same expression when it came to Xander. Tara slowly stood. “You’ll be safe?”

“Well, we’ll try.” Xander announced. “I’ll keep him from doing something stupid.”

“Good.” Tara nodded. Oz stood as well, but his eyes still focused on Tara. “Come back to me.”

“Always.” Oz replied.

“Bloody hell, enough sap!” Spike exclaimed. “Let’s get going before the moon decides to come out of hiding, yeah? It’s dark enough for me to make it to the woods with you.” As they turned to the door, Spike noticed that Tara was following. “Where are you going?”

“I thought I’d go to the Scooby meeting.” Tara replied, suddenly timid once more.

“I don’t know if I like the idea of you going without us.” Spike informed her. He ignored the amused look Xander was sending him. He was not about to let Tara get hurt by Xander’s extended pack.

“I can take care of myself, Daddy.” Tara informed him with an almost sly smile.

“Hmph.” Spike narrowed his eyes and took a step towards her, as though hovering over her would prove his point. Of course, the fact that they were practically the same height didn’t register. As he took the step, however, he heard Oz growl slightly. Xander automatically growled at him in reply.

“Oz.” Tara said as Oz started to bare his teeth. At the sound of Tara saying his name, he stopped immediately. “Don’t.”

“Tell you what.” Spike said, watching with interest as Oz followed Tara’s order. “Once I’m certain Xander’s got control of the pup, I’ll go to the Magic Box. Maybe we can get some patrolling in, yeah?”

“You want me to patrol with you?” Tara asked, shocked.

“You need to learn to defend yourself sooner or later.” Spike replied. “I will not let some fledge finish you off.”

“Guys, we need to get going.” Xander pointed out. Spike glanced over to see that Oz was suddenly getting very fidgety. 

They left the apartment building as a group, before Tara parted for the Magic Box. Not before listening to Spike lecture her over safety precautions, of course. The other three made it into the woods and a good distance within it, just as the clouds parted to reveal an orange colored moon.

Even in all his years, Spike had yet to see a werewolf transform. It looked painful. In fact, it looked downright cruel. The snap of Oz’s limbs filled his ears. Oz hadn’t had time to get undressed. As his body curled forward, his t-shirt ripped in half. Moans drifted from his form, but were quickly turned into growls. Finally, it was finished. The clothing fell away, revealing a strong, muscular body, covered in thick black fur. He looked like an absurdly large wolf. 

As Oz turned toward them, Spike noticed something rather strange. He had learned enough about what to expect from Xander, so he knew that something was a little off. Oz looked intelligent. He wasn’t running on pure instinct. In fact, as the wolf tilted his head, it was obvious that he recognized them.

“Uh, pet? Is that supposed to happen?” Spike asked, knowing Xander would understand what he was talking about.

“No. No, it’s not.” Xander replied rather nervously, before realization appeared on his face. “Oh, God. It must have been Tara.”

“What do you mean?” Spike asked. Oz appeared to have gotten tired of looking at them, and was now sniffing at the ground. Spike started circling him carefully, praying the werewolf wouldn’t try to escape.

“Mates.” Xander said. “Remember what I told you? About how pack and mates kind of go hand in hand? Well, it appears I was right. Tara is Oz’s mate. She started the process.”

“So, what does that mean for us?” Spike watched as Oz sniffed the air, before letting out a howl.

“Hopefully, it will make things a little easier.” Xander informed him. However, as Xander spoke those words, Oz let out one more howl and darted off, quickly disappearing through the trees.

“Shit!” Spike cursed, immediately running after him. 

Xander ran along with him, his inner hyena giving him the same speed as Spike. They quickly caught up with the werewolf, who snapped at Spike’s heel. They flanked the werewolf, insuring that the only direction his could run was forward. Spike, unable to stop himself, let out a roar of pleasure as they continued to chase after Oz. He couldn’t help the thrill that shot through his body. It was almost like hunting again. Across from him, he could hear the telltale sound of a hyena: a mixture of a hiccup-like laugh and a growl.

“Tackle him!” Xander suddenly ordered. Without thinking, Spike followed his mate’s order. His body connected with Oz’s, causing the werewolf tumble to the ground. They rolled a few times, before stopping with Spike pinning the overgrown wolf to the ground. Oz snapped at him, a growl continuously echoing from his throat. 

“Now, pup. This is no time for violence.” Spike said with a cheerful tone. Xander knelt next to him and Spike found himself momentarily captivated by Xander’s face. A soft ring of glowing green circled his irises. He was taking in deep breaths, more from scenting his surroundings than being out of breath. He looked feral, and the sight immediately caused Spike’s cock to harden. “Well, now what?”

“Release him.” Xander ordered with a growl. Spike crawled off of Oz, resting in crouch next to them. Oz rolled onto his four feet, his eyes darting between Spike and Xander, before resting on Xander. “You’ve got a choice, Oz.”

Again, Spike was struck by how Oz was not a normal werewolf. Tara must have really affected him, because the werewolf tilted his head and started at Xander with complete understanding.

“Do you want Tara?” Xander asked, his voice low and calm. Oz let out a small whimper. “If you want her, then you’ve got to be pack. She belongs to us.” Oz growled slightly, but caught himself before he did anything more. “You have to accept me as the pack leader. I am Alpha, and Spike is my mate.”

Oz appeared to be debating something, his dark eyes flickering briefly to Spike. Then, he lowered his head. Xander looked over and met Spike’s eyes, before slowly crawling toward Oz’s form. Xander’s head brushed slightly against Oz’s, almost in greeting. Then, with a harsh growl, Xander pushed Oz onto his back. Oz went willingly, baring his belly to Xander.

Xander made a small motion with his hand, gesturing Spike over. As Spike approached, Xander leaned down and nuzzled Oz’s throat. Spike watched, cataloguing everything, as Xander opened his mouth and bit down on Oz’s next, hard. Oz let out a small whimper, but otherwise remained motionless. Finally, Xander pulled away and grabbed Spike by the shoulder.

“You will obey me, as pack leader.” Xander said, sternly. “As my mate, Spike holds the same power as I do.”

Then, Spike found himself biting down on Oz’s neck. Mid-bite, his demon features shifted forward. He managed to keep his teeth from breaking skin, and instead focused on how Oz’s coarse fur wasn’t as foul tasting as he had expected. Pulling away, Spike turned to Xander and was immediately pulled into a deep kiss.

“Mmm, love you.” Xander whispered as they separated.

“Love you, too.” Spike replied. They turned back to Oz, who slowly rolled back onto his feet. “What’s next, love?”

“Now?” Xander grinned, pulling himself into a crouch. “Now we play.”

Spike watched, astonished, as Xander leaped toward Oz. The werewolf let out a yelp of shock, before quickly realizing it was a game. Spike chuckled, shaking his head. “As much fun as this is, pet, I’m going to go take care of our little witch.”

“Alright.” Xander said, beaming up at him. Spike rolled his eyes as the two continued to play, before leaving the woods. Xander watched him go, before quickly diving into their wrestling match. Oz snapped at his arms, but not at all violently. In fact, Xander would be shocked if the bite would even break skin.

They continued to play for at least an hour more. Xander found himself completely submerged into his hyena psyche. He was completely aware that a glowing ring of green circled his eyes and that his teeth probably appeared sharper than they already were. Grinning a feral grin, Xander tackled Oz to the ground once more.

And then the pain came. Electricity wracked his body. He could feel Oz let out a pain-filled howl against him. Turning, Xander let out a low growl of warning. But just as the figures dressed in army garb came into focus, his world turned black.


	6. Chapter 6

Spike entered the Magic Box, forcing his happy grin into a sneer. It wouldn’t do to have his reputation destroyed, after all. However, he couldn’t help but be pleased. Bringing Oz into the pack had been a lot easier than he had thought it would be. It seemed that, for once, things were going to be okay. The world wasn’t trying to end and he had his pack. Life was good.

Spike found Tara sitting on their side of the table, looking rather lonely. Several stacks of books sat before her, and a large volume rested on her lap. Across the table, Buffy and Willow were talking more than researching. Riley sat next to Buffy, looking like his typical lap-dog self. Spike frowned slightly, however, when he noticed the nervous look in the man’s eyes. Giles was nowhere to be seen. Stretching his hearing, Spike caught the sound of the older man’s heartbeat in the back office. No doubt, he was brewing some tea. 

“How's my little witch doing?” Spike asked with a smirk as he slid into the seat next to Tara. Tara gave him an amused look, rolling her eyes.

“How did it go?” Tara asked in a low voice.

“Good.” Spike replied. “They’re off playing now. Prats.”

“I guess they didn’t let you join in.” Tara said in a mournful voice. “You poor thing.”

“Would rather be here, playing with you, anyway.” Spike leered. Tara blushed slightly and looked back down at her book. Spike turned back to the others, who had yet to acknowledge him. “So? What’s on the menu?”

“Nothing we can’t handle.” Buffy informed him. It was obviously a dismissal and Spike, who didn’t want to be there anyway, was fully prepared to take her up on it.

“Hey, pet?” Spike sent Tara a grin. “Let’s get out of here, hmm?”

“Okay. I’m not finding anything here, anyway.” Tara sighed. She stood up, taking a moment to stretch, before following Spike out of the Magic Box.

The night was cool and slightly damp. Spike couldn't help but wonder if Xander and Oz were now covered in mud, being the cubs that they sometimes were. Spike paused outside the shop, waiting for Tara to button up her jacket. They then headed towards one of the cemeteries that Buffy hardly went to. Spike had no desire, after all, to run into her if she went patrolling later.

The graveyard was dark and dreary as usual. Tara walked close to him, her gray-blue eyes darting from one spot to the other. Due to her awareness of her surroundings, it wasn't much a shock when she spotted the vampire before Spike did. Spike immediately leapt into battle, yelling at Tara over his shoulder.

"Lesson the first!" Spike announced, dodging a punch. "Vampires are, by nature, full of themselves. Use that to your advantage." Spike dropped to the ground and kicked the vampire's legs out from underneath him. "Make them think they have the better hand, because it will always knock them off their feet when they realize they don't have it."

Spike rolled onto his knees, pinning the vampire underneath him in the process. He looked up at Tara with a grin. "Lesson the second. Fighting vampires is like having sex. Dominant sex, but sex nonetheless. The key is to make sure you're the dominant one."

With that said, Spike thrusted a stake into the vampire's chest. It exploded into a cloud of dust that was quickly caught by the light wind.

"Anything else I should know?" Tara asked, trying not to blush.

"Not really." Spike grinned, standing. "Was kind of making it up as I went along. Still, next vampire is yours."

"Mine?" Tara squeaked.

"Sure is." Spike brushed off the dust from his jeans.

"Well, I-" Tara started, before a small frown developed on her face. Her eyes zipped around the cemetery, as though looking for something. "Spike...?"

"Yeah, pet?" Spike asked, walking over to her.

"Spike..." Tara repeated, her voice sounding almost scared. "Something's wrong."

"What do you mean?" Spike questioned.

"I don't know." Tara whispered. She turned and looked Spike in the eyes. Spike frowned at her, taking in how pale her face suddenly looked.

"Tar-" Spike started, before his body suddenly jerked. Spike dropped to the ground, pressing his hands into the grass. His body convulsed once more, and a low moan escaped his lips. A dull pain washed over him, along with a strong fear. Fear of what, he did not know. All he knew was that Tara was right. Something was wrong. "Xander."

"Spike?" Tara placed her hand on his shoulder, only to have it brushed off as Spike stood. Spike's face was in hard lines, his eyes narrowed.

Spike ignored Tara and ran. His body pulled him towards the woods, the strong feeling that something was happening to Xander urging him on. He could sense Tara chasing after him, her heart beating rapidly as she attempted to keep up with his pace. He ignored the small part of himself that said to slow down, to let his pack mate run along side him. But he simply couldn't do it. He had to get to Xander, as soon as possible.

The woods surrounded him in a blur as he entered. The smell of pine and oak trees invaded his senses, connecting him with nature. He ignored this as well, pushing himself further into the woods until he reached the small patch of land that Xander, Oz, and him had occupied earlier. Finally he came to a stop, immediately turning around to see if Tara had managed to keep up with him.

"You okay?" Spike asked as the blonde witch tumbled into the clearing. Tara leaned forward, pressing her palms against her knees, and panted. Slowly, she straightened up and nodded. Spike sent her a slight smile, before turning back toward the clearing. Scenting the air, he could easily pick up Xander and Oz. 

"They were here?" Tara asked softly.

"Yeah." Spike nodded. He took a step forward, staring closely at the ground. "There's signs of a struggle, but that could have been from them wrestling."

"W-What do you think happened?" 

Spike glanced over at her. Tara's eyes looked slightly glazed over, possibly from fear. With a sigh, he quickly pulled her into a hug. "They'll be fine. Whatever happened... Well, we will find them, won't we?"

But Tara wasn't listening to him anymore. She gently pushed away from him and took a step toward the far side of the clearing. Spike followed, taking in how the grass there was pressed down, a clear sign that someone had laid there. He watched as Tara slowly lowered herself to her knees, reaching out a hand as though trying to touch whoever had been there.

An ache attacked Spike's chest and he tried to push it away. This was almost surreal. Everything had been going so well for them. He had Xander, who he loved more than anything on this earth. He had a clan, a pack, that included a witch that was stronger than she realized and a wolf that just wanted to belong. He had a home. He had everything he ever wanted and now... 

"Spike." Tara whispered. Spike blinked down at her, pushing his thoughts to the back of his mind. Her hand was still extended and it shook dangerously. Her eyes gazed up at him, catching the light of the full moon. The moon's glow seemed to accent the grayness of her eyes, causing them to look almost silver.

"What?" Spike asked, cursing at how his voice caught in his throat.

"There's electricity... Umm, electricity still in the air." Tara replied.

"What does that mean?" Spike demanded, a sick feeling growing in his stomach. Electricity. He knew what that could possibly be, but he prayed it wasn't.

"Something... Someone released a large jolt of electricity into this spot. It was localized and..." Tara took a deep breath. "It's not natural, Spike. It's man-made. That's why I can still feel it; it would have been absorbed into the ground otherwise."

"Fuck." Spike cursed, rubbing briefly at his face. "Those bastards. Those fucking bastards!"

Anger surged through him and, needing some way to vent, he turned and punch at the nearest tree. His fist penetrated the bark. Panting, he pulled back his hand, finding small bits of wood now embedded into his knuckles.

"You think it was the Initiative." Tara surmised, standing. She gently took hold of his hand and carefully pulled out the wood. Spike let out a slight hiss, but didn't reply. With a deep breath, Tara wrapped her hands around the wounds and looked up at him. "They took Xander and Oz."

"Seems to be the most obvious answer." Spike replied, his voice bitter.

"They'll hurt him, won't they?" Tara's voice was barely above a whisper. Spike forced himself not to react as her hands tightened painfully around his own hand.

"It's what they do." Spike told her.

"Not this time." Tara said stubbornly. Spike's eyes widened slightly at the look in her face, not used to seeing Tara with an actual backbone. He felt some pride at the sight. Yeah, that was his girl.

"Won't even get a chance to touch them." Spike agreed, a feral grin spreading across his face. Tara nodded and let go of his hand. He glanced at it, and then did a double-take. His wounds were completely healed. Even as a vampire, especially one living on mostly animal blood, he wouldn’t have been able to heal that fast. He looked back up at Tara in shock.

"What?" Tara asked, almost innocently. She turned away from him, looking once more at the clearing. "So, what do we do now?"

"Well, who do we know that has the inside information on the Initiative?" Spike asked. At his words, Tara began walking.

"Let's go." Tara literally ordered.

Spike followed along side of her, his thoughts racing. He could sense Tara doing the same. He still felt angry, overly so. Yet, unlike the Spike of old, he didn't feel like attacking the nearest living thing. Aside from punching the tree, he wanted to keep his feelings buried. Perhaps that was the effect of his soul. The only effect, apparently. In fact, he wasn't much different than before he got his soul back.

Still, he was mad and angry and really, really wanted to kill Riley Finn. Even if the bastard had nothing to do with what happened, he still wanted the pleasure of ripping his spine out and -- Spike winced slightly as the chip in his head throbbed in warning. With a sigh, Spike followed Tara into the nearest cemetery.

"Are you okay?" Tara asked, breaking the silence.

"No." Spike admitted. Funny how Tara was one of the few people who could get him to say the truth about pretty much everything. Even Xander had to kiss him senseless on a few occasions.

"Neither am I." Tara replied, sending Spike a sympathetic look. "You feel like you should be more upset, don't you?"

"Shouldn't I?" Spike returned. "This is my mate that's missing. My bloody mate! I should be destroying everything in sight."

"Spike..." Tara sighed and send him a tired smile. "It's called shock. I'm feeling it too."

"Does this mean that sooner or later I'm going to explode and kill everyone?" Spike asked, hopefully.

"I think that sums it up, yeah." Tara answered.

"Good." Spike said. "Because I bloody well want to kill someone."

"Preferably someone in camouflage." Tara added.

"Exactly." Spike nodded.

Silence descended once more, with Spike returning to his own thoughts. He was determined to do this properly. He wasn't going to overreact. He was going to march up to Riley and demand to know what was happening to Xander and Oz. He was not going to give Riley a chance to not answer. He would keep his cool.

All declarations of controlling his emotions ran for the hills the moment he spotted Riley Finn, walking alongside Buffy like a little puppy. A sick feeling encased his insides and anger boiled underneath his skin. Letting out a roar of anger, Spike's face shifted into fangs and yellow eyes. He rushed forward and, ignoring the pain that shot through his head, slammed Riley into the nearest tombstone.

Spike could feel Buffy grabbing his shoulder. He felt her yank him back, as he bared his teeth and hissed at the fallen commando. He could feel the ground make contact with his back as Buffy shoved him away. Letting out another hiss, Spike leapt back to his feet. Instead of going after Riley once more, he stood stock still as more anger than he knew what to do with ran through his veins.

"What the hell is going on?" Buffy demanded, helping Riley to his feet. Her hazel eyes darted between Spike and Tara, wide with confusion and agitation.

"Ask him." Spike growled, still in game face. 

"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked, crossing her arms and leaning toward Riley.

"Where's Xander?" Spike asked in a low, dangerous voice. Riley frowned in response. That small expression made Spike even angrier. "What the hell did your fucking friends do with my mate?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Riley replied, almost sincere.

"You god damn liar." Spike grounded out. "Where is he?"

"I said-" Riley started.

"Spike, stop this." Buffy interrupted. "We don't know what you're talking about, okay? Why don't you just go home and keep yourself out of trouble for once? Xander's probably there anyway."

"Yeah." Riley agreed, nervously. Spike narrowed his eyes, his face shifting back into human form.

"He knows something." Tara's voice announced from behind Spike. Spike glanced briefly over his shoulder, taking in the witch's cold demeanor, before turning back to Riley.

"I might have this chip stuck in my brain, soldier boy, but that doesn't mean I won't risk killing you." Spike said, eluding a fake calm. Inwardly, he tried desperately to make sense of his thoughts and the situation. "If I find out you had anything to do with the Initiative taking Xander and Oz, I will come after you. You will be begging for death by the time I'm through."

"Initiative?" Buffy asked, shooting Riley a confused look. Riley's face had gone slightly white. "Why would the Initiative take Xander?"

"Half-hyenas aren't exactly human, now are they?" Spike replied. "And then, of course, there's the pup. I bet your horde of science freaks would love to get a hold of a werewolf." Spike glanced back at Tara once more as he heard her take in a sharp breath. Her eyes had hardened even more and she was giving Riley the darkest look she could muster. "...Pet?"

"If they hurt him..." Tara said slowly, as though forcing the words out. "Then Hecate herself won't be able to keep me from killing you."

Riley audibly gulped.

"You heard what she said." Spike sent Riley a nasty grin. "And we both know Tara has difficulty lying."

"I told you..." Riley said. "I don’t know what you're talking about."

"Look, they probably got lost in the woods or something." Buffy said desperately. "I mean, it is the full moon after all. Oz is probably off chasing rabbits or something."

"Spike." Tara whispered too low for Buffy and Riley to hear. "We aren't getting any help here. ...And I don't think we can take the Initiative on our own."

Spike let out a snarl of agitation and whipped around. He ignored Buffy's yells and stormed out of the cemetery and onto a deserted street. Tara followed a few feet behind him, giving him the time to cool off so they would be able to at least think of a plan.

"I have no bloody idea as to what I'm doing." Spike muttered. He slumped down into a nearby bench, resting his head in his hands. "I can't do this."

"Spike?" Tara asked, sitting down next to him. He could feel her arm wrapped around his shoulders, causing a feeling of warmth to wash through his body.

"I can't live without him." Spike whispered, his voice sounding broken. He refused to cry, however. He wouldn’t give the Initiative the satisfaction of making him cry. Even if he felt like his whole world was crumbling before, like a part of him was dying. "I just can't."

"You don't have to." Tara informed him. "We'll find them. No matter what, we'll find them. Even if we have to tear Sunnydale apart looking for them. Even if we have to..." 

"What?" Spike asked as Tara trailed off.

"Even if we have to ask for some outside assistance." Tara finally said.

"What do you mean-?" Spike cut himself off and looked up at her.

"I think it's obvious we won't be able to trust Buffy, and Willow will only follow Buffy's word." Tara explained. "Perhaps... Well, maybe he could help. It's worth a try. ...Surely, Angel wouldn't deny us the help we need?"

"Fuck." Was all Spike could say.


	7. Chapter 7

Tara didn't want to know where Spike had been hiding his Desoto all this time. At the moment, it was a better idea to shut up and hold onto the dashboard for dear life. Because Spike drove like a maniac, which didn't surprise Tara that much. Especially given the circumstances. 

It became apparent to Tara that, after Spike's brief spell of emotional control, the vampire was on the edge of insanity. He was twitching, whether from fear or anger, Tara couldn't tell. He was also muttering under his breath, eyes flashing yellow periodically. At least it was apparent he actually knew what he was feeling. Tara, on the other hand, couldn't explain the emotions twisting through her heart.

With a sigh, Tara leaned back in her seat and peered out the window. The full moon hung from the sky like a giant lantern, giving the passing scenery a silver tint. Her thoughts immediately went to Oz. It was strange, the connection she felt toward him. It was so similar to the connection she saw between Spike and Xander. A unity of souls, if the term could be considered proper. In reality, she knew that their connection extended farther than their souls, on to the beasts within. 

But with Oz, there was no beast. He had the wolf, sure, but she... Tara shook her head, a slight frown flickering across her face. She didn't host an animal, like the others. So, why did she feel what they felt? Why did she understand the meaning of pack and mate?

"Are you okay?" Spike suddenly asked, his voice slicing through the silence like a knife through butter.

"I don't know." Tara admitted. She could feel Spike look over at her, just as easily as she could feel his presence. It was something that had started once she became a member of Spike and Xander's pack. Tara couldn't honestly say when that had happened, but for a while now she had been able to feel a connection between her and the two. And then Oz had come along and awakened something inside her, something she couldn't identify.

The lights of Los Angeles appeared ahead of them. A sense of nervousness washed over Tara. She didn't know if this was really a good idea. Sure, it was her plan, but she didn't know Angel. He might not want to help them. Of course, she could recognize the look in Spike's eyes. He would make Angel help them, or destroy something trying.

The Desoto quickly drove off one of the highway's off ramp and entered a darkened area. The streets were deserted and the streetlights were mostly broken. They drove for a few minutes, before slowing to a stop in front of a crumbled building. The dark remains showed evidence of a fire.

"Bloody fucking hell." Spike muttered, climbing out of the car. He stormed over to the building's remains and stared at them a moment, looking rather lost. Then, as Tara watched from the car, he proceeded to curse and kick things. Hoping to give Spike a little bit of privacy, Tara turned away. After a few minutes, Spike slid back into the driver's seat. "The place burned down. Only Peaches would let his house burn down."

"Where do you think he is now?" Tara asked softly.

"Don't know... But sadly, I know where to find him." Spike said, rather mournfully. Tara watched him a moment, before returning to staring at the passing buildings. She briefly wondered what possible evil they were about to encounter. It had to be bad if it gave Spike that expression.

 

Darkness. Pure and utter darkness. It was comforting, the black surrounding him. Of course, Xander knew that if he opened his eyes he would see white. Nothing but white.

He suddenly understood why Spike had insisted they paint the walls of the apartment a new color. White... Well, Xander officially hated it.

A shiver ran through him and Xander forced himself to curl further into a fetal position. He couldn't feel Oz anymore. They had taken him away a couple hours ago. Xander had no idea what was happening to his pack mate. All he knew was that he was alone, cold, and completely naked.

The sound of footsteps caught his attention. Unable to resist, Xander slowly opened his eyes and peered through the glass that acted as a wall. His eyes snapped fully open as he spotted the doctor that had taken Oz, as well as a couple of commandos. The two soldiers were dragging something between them. While the glass kept him from breathing in the unconscious figure's scent, the pack link was enough to tell him it was Oz.

The group paused in front of his cell and the doctor looked at him thoughtfully. Then, nodding to himself, he slid a card through an out of sight side panel. The glass wall slid away. Xander contemplated rushing at the soldiers, grabbing Oz, and making a run for it. But he wasn't stupid. Oz looked like, if he had been awake, he wouldn't be able to stand, let alone run. 

Xander growled low in his throat, baring his teeth at the two soldiers. They ignored him and shoved Oz inside. The glass door slid shut before he could blink. Xander immediately ignored the soldiers and doctor, crawling across the floor in order to reach Oz's side.

The werewolf was back in human form, despite Xander's instincts telling him it was still night time. However, he had no idea how long he had been asleep, so days could have passed. Taking a deep breath, Xander pulling Oz into his lap and turned him onto his back. Bruises littered his body, with a particularly dark one in his arm, a sure sign that they had drawn blood. There was a large cut along one side, being held closed by poorly done stitches.

Forcing down another growl, Xander wrapped his arms around Oz's shivering form. A soft purr began to emit from his chest. Staring blankly at the floor, Xander could only pray that Spike would come and save them.

 

Tara gulped and took a step closer to Spike. The club was crowded with demons. Everywhere she looked there were horns or tentacles. While Tara was not prejudice against demons, unless they were trying to kill her, she nonetheless felt a little uncomfortable around so many of them. "Umm... Spike?"

"Yeah, pet?" Spike asked, his eyes scanning the crowd.

"What exactly are we doing here?" Tara asked, timidly.

"We're going to talk to a guy named Lorne." Spike answered. "Though, I'll tell you now, I am not singing for him again."

Tara felt it best not to respond to that comment and instead followed Spike as he pushed his way through the crowd. They approached the end of the long bar, where a tall green demon stood. The demon glanced at them with red eyes, which matched the red horns protruding from his upper forehead. The demon's eyes widened and he straightened up, adjusting his lilac colored leisure suit in the process.

"Spike, you darling thing you!" He greeted, his face erupting into a bright grin. The expression immediately put Tara at ease. "I can honestly say I never expected to see you again."

"And I never wanted to see you again, either." Spike replied, snidely. "Lorne, perhaps we can take this conversation somewhere... Quiet?"

"Hmm, if you insist, cupcake." Lorne smiled sweetly and gestured for them to follow. They made their way toward the back of the club, where a small booth was tucked into the corner. They could still hear the crowd, and the sight of the current demon on stage singing, but it was much more private. "So, what brings you to my establishment?"

"I noticed Angel's place burned down. Care to tell me what happened?" Spike asked.

"Apparently some big law firm hired this nasty demon to take them out. Burned the place to the ground." Lorne shook his head sadly. "Caught that ex-Watcher of Angel's -- Wesley, I believe. -- inside. Poor guy. He was in the hospital for some time, along with Doyle."

"What happened to Doyle?" Spike asked. Tara could see him thinking, most likely imagining Angel's reaction to this Doyle person being hurt.

"Wolfram and Hart is what happened, sugar plum." Lorne replied. "His visions wouldn't stop, one right after the other. He was in the psyche ward until Angel was able to fix things right again."

"Bloody hell." Spike muttered. "So, you going to tell me where I can find him?"

"Tell you what, sweetie." Lorne leaned forward and looked over at Tara. "You get your cute blonde to sing for me and I'll tell you anything you want."

"Me?" Tara squeaked. Oh, she really wished she had insisted on staying in the car. But Spike would have none of it and demanded that she remain by his side. While she could understand his thinking behind it, for at a time like this the pack needed to remain together, but she had known something was going to happen within this club. "Sing? I-I... I c-can't."

"Well, he can't either, sweet pea." Lorne gestured toward the bulky demon on the stage, who was currently singing 'Singing in the Rain'. "Doesn't really matter. I'll see what I need to see, whether you can carry a tune or not."

"Sing?" Tara repeated. She stared over at Spike, who tried to avoid her gaze. With a defeated sigh, she stood up. It was, after all, for Oz and Xander. She could do this. She could stand in front of a group of strangers and sing for them.

Spike watched her shuffled through the crowd, growling slightly when one demon glanced at her twice. After a few minutes of looking through the music, Tara stepped onto the stage. Spike relaxed back in his chair, pushing the constant fear and anger that came with being separated from Xander to the back of his mind. At that moment in time, he didn't want to think.

Tara's choice in music suddenly drifted out of the speakers. The sound of a piano, along with a melody that held hints of rock music. Spike could see Tara gripping the microphone until her knuckles were white as her eyes met Spike's through the crowd, as though to ground her. Then, Tara's soft alto voice met his ears.

_So I ran faster, but it caught me here. Yes, my loyalties turned. Like my ankle in the seventh grade; running after Billy, running after the rain._

"Hmm." Lorne hummed thoughtfully. Spike turned to look at him. "Interesting."

"Bloody hell, what are you yammering on about?" Spike demanded.

"Angel is now at the Hyperion." Lorne informed him, his red eyes wide as he watched Tara on stage. Spike narrowed his own eyes at the reaction.

_These precious things. Let them bleed, let them wash away. These precious things, let them break their hold over me._

"What do you see?" Spike asked. He didn't look at Lorne and instead watched as most of the demons in the club looked Tara with awed faces. Tara had definitely been wrong, she was an amazing singer.

"She's got a long road ahead of her, cupcake." Lorne informed him.

"Don't call me that." Spike growled.

_He said you're really an ugly girl, but I like the way you play. And I died, but I thanked him. Can you believe that? Sick, sick. Holding on to his picture, dressing up every day. I wanna smash the faces of those beautiful boys, those Christian boys. So you can make me cum? That doesn't make you Jesus._

Spike's eyes darted quickly to stage when he heard the phrase 'cum'. It sounded weird coming out of Tara's mouth.

"Yes, a rocky road." Lorne commented, more to himself than to Spike.

_These precious things. Let them bleed, let them wash away. These precious things, let them break their hold over me._

"Care to specify?" Spike asked in agitation.

"Not my place, honey." Lorne replied. "Got to wait until she comes back and then... Well, then I might say something."

"Git." Spike muttered.

_I remember, yes, in my peach party dress. No one dared, no one cared, to tell me where the pretty girls are. Those demigods with their nine-inch nails and little fascist panties tucked inside the heart of every nice girl._

Lorne finally looked away from Tara and began writing on a napkin. "I can tell you this much, Spike. You will need help. Even you aren't enough to stop the Initiative."

"Why the bloody hell do you think I'm asking for Angel's address?" Spike glared.

_These precious things. Let them bleed, let them wash away. These precious things, let them break their hold over me. Precious, precious._

"That's not all you need." Lorne leaned toward him, folding the napkin in half as he did so. Neither one noticed as the music changed into something else. "You will need this girl, Spike. Don't let Tara think she isn't enough."

"Are you kidding?" Spike snorted. "She's the best fighter I've got at the moment."

"And so she should be." Lorne nodded, satisfied.

"Umm, Spike?" Tara asked, nervously, as she walked up to their table.

"Hey, pet." Spike greeted with a slight smile. Lorne watched them a moment, before sliding the napkin over to Spike.

"There you go." Lorne said. "For the sake of the world, I hope you get your mates back. The Powers know we don't need you two turning against them."

"T-thank you." Tara stammered as Spike stood. They started to walk away, but were stopped by Lorne's voice.

"Oh, and dandelion?" Lorne smiled at Tara. "You've got to trust your own strength. Don't allow yourself to be pulled down by someone else's power. You're stronger than you realize. Use that to your advantage, okay?"

Tara didn't reply, and instead allowed herself to be pulled away by Spike, confusion written all over her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Precious things by Tori Amos


	8. Chapter 8

Xander narrowed his eyes and gently pulled Oz's sleeping form behind him. The glass door slid open, allowing two soldiers to enter the cell. Xander's eyes darted between the two, before glancing over their shoulders and at the doctor standing in the hallway. He barred his teeth slightly while trying to remember where he had seen that woman before.

Xander sat up as the soldiers walked toward him. He knew what they were planning. They had already dragged Oz off once, but that had been when Xander was still out of it. This time, however, they were going to have to fight for them.

Growling low in his throat, Xander raised himself into a crouch. He eyed the two commandoes, before focusing on the smaller one to the right. As they reached midway between the cell door and where Xander was, he let out the traditional hyena laugh. The hiccup-like sound emitted from his throat of it's own accord, shocking the soldiers. They paused in their movement, giving Xander the right amount of time to attack.

He launched himself at the smaller soldier, tackling him to the ground. Yells filled the cell, along with the doctor's orders from the hallway. Xander ignored everything, his only desire to inflict damage upon the humans that had intended harm upon him and his pack mate. His hands curled and, using his nails as claws, he focused on the soldier's face. Just as he felt the slick feeling of blood coat his fingers, a jolt of electricity ripped through his body.

He awoke feeling as though he had been hit by a truck. He could feel leather straps pinning him to a metal table. His vision was blurry, but it was enough to make out the white lab coat of a scientist. Taking a deep breath, he breathed in the scents of the room. There were at least two soldiers and the mechanical smell of computers. A soft beeping alerted him of a machine monitoring his heartbeat.

"Subject appears human." The doctor said, her voice sending chills down Xander's spine. Xander opened his eyes once more and stared up at her. She ignored him. "His nails are cut short... It is amazing the damage he managed to do Rogers." The doctor glanced over her shoulder. "By the way, what is his status?"

"He's blind, Professor." A voice replied. Xander let out a soft growl. That voice was familiar. It belonged to one of Riley's friends.

"Hmm..." The professor turned back to Xander and continued her monologue, showing no sign of compassion toward her fallen soldier. "Eyes are dilated and are emitting a bright green color. Heartbeat is elevated and brain waves are at normal human range. Appears to understand it's surroundings-"

"Bitch." Xander muttered, unable to keep himself quiet.

"And is able to speak the human language." She stated, smirking down at him. She reached across from him, retrieving something slender and made of metal. "Now, let's see how human you truly are, shall we?"

The woman reached up to make sure her mask was on probably, before gripping the item in her hand. Xander's body tensed as the surgical lights caused the blade of the scalpel to glint ominously. He forced his eyes to look away, staring at a spot on the ceiling instead. He prepared himself for the pain, but it wasn't enough. As the scalpel began to cut into his chest, all he could do was scream.

 

Cordelia Chase had become accustomed to trouble showing up at any given moment. That was the effect of working with a souled vampire and his half-demon lover. His half-demon lover that was currently trying to get her to go to a horse race with her. Apparently, he owed some guy a lot of money and needed her help. Cordelia couldn't help but notice that this scene was all too familiar, but this was the first time that Doyle had chose to hide behind her instead of Angel.

"It won't take long." Doyle was saying.

"I'm not going to go scare off some creepy money collector type guy just to save your neck." Cordelia snapped at him. "Go ask Angel."

"But you don't understand! I need someone that will terrify him!" Doyle insisted. He paused, before looking rather sheepish. "Err, not that you're scary."

"I choose to look past that remark." Cordelia informed him.

"Oh, thank heaven for that." Doyle muttered. Cordelia rolled her eyes and turned back toward the desk. She was gathering up a few sheets of paper and looking for an empty file to place them in, when the front door to the Hyperion slammed open.

"Bloody hell!" Spike cursed, beating lightly at his jacket. The suns rays were just reaching L.A., and the result was in Spike bursting into flames halfway through the door. Cordelia raised an eyebrow and watched as Spike, along with a blonde girl, walked up to the desk. Spike scowled at her. "Where's Peaches?"

"Excuse me?" Cordelia snorted. "Rude, much?"

"What do you want, Spike?" Doyle asked.

"What do I want?" Spike questioned with an agitated growl. "I want to talk to Angel. So where is he?"

"Cordelia?" A soft, cultured voice asked. Wesley Wyndham-Pryce entered the main lobby from one of the side doors, carrying with him a folder. "Why is the Johnson case filed under K?"

"How should I know?" Cordelia gave him a perplexed look. Wesley peered over his glasses at her, before shaking his head in exasperation. "Hey, while your over there, could you grab Angel? His small and insignificant family member is here."

"Oi!" Spike exclaimed.

"You can't deny it." Cordelia informed him.

"Err, certainly." Wesley eyed Spike nervously, before darting back through the door. A moment later, Angel emerged, looking as though he had just eaten a basket of lemons.

"Spike." Angel growled. "What are you doing here?"

"Right. To the point then, eh?" Spike took a deep, un-needed breath. "I need your help."

Cordelia felt her eyebrows move toward the ceiling at these words. Blinking, she glanced at the girl that was accompanying Spike. She looked familiar. Frowning, Cordelia tried to recall some of the conversations she had had with Willow. Oh, right. This must be Tara.

"We need to destroy the bloody Initiative." Spike announced.

"And why is that?" Angel asked in that tired voice he always developed when speaking with or about Spike. 

"They're evil!" Spike exclaimed. "Don't you people get it? They are kidnapping non-humans left and right for experiments. I've got a god-damn chip in my head from those bastards. And that's not the worst part."

"Spike-" Angel started.

"No! You are going to listen to me." Spike snapped. "They took Xander and Oz."

"Have you talked to Buffy?" Angel asked.

Even Cordelia was smart enough to realize that wasn't the best thing to ask. Spike's jaw began to twitch and Cordelia took a step back. She could see the tension under his skin. Spike was about to blow. As she suspected, Spike suddenly let out a roar of anger. He grabbed the nearest object at hand, which happened to be a wooden stool, and slammed it down onto the ground. Wood shards erupted around him, making Angel jump back in order to avoid them. 

"Do you actually think that I would bloody well be here if Slutty the Vampire Slayer would help me?" Spike yelled, his vampire features shifting forward. "She's dating one of the bastards! I tried to tell her, but she wouldn't listen."

"Spike, you need-" Angel said.

"Don't tell me what I need!" Spike interrupted. "I know what I need! I need my mate back." 

Cordelia watched, utterly amazed, as Spike dropped to his knees. The vampire's body was shaking and his face held such turmoil. Biting her lip, Cordelia had to face the facts. She felt sorry for Spike. She wanted to help Spike. No evil being could look that upset over losing a lover.

It was like watching a dam erupt. So many emotions were pouring out of Spike at once. Anger, depression, agitation, and pure pain. Spike leaned forward, his hands clawing at the floor, as his body continued to shake. It was obvious Spike was trying to get control of his emotions once more, but it wasn't working. 

"...Spike?" Angel said softly, moving kneel in front of the blonde vampire. 

"Get away from me." Spike growled. 

"Spike, we need to talk about this." Angel insisted. "You have to tell me exactly what happened."

"They took him." Spike whispered, slowly raising his head. An anger burned within Spike's eyes, causing the yellow irises to appear on fire. "They took the one thing that I need in life. I need Xander more than blood, more that anything, and they took him. I can feel him, Angel."

Spike suddenly let out a howl that hardly sounded human. In fact, it didn't even sound like a demon. It was more like an animal, crying out one last time before it died. Pushing himself to his feet, Spike struck out with his foot, kicking a hole into the wall. 

"I can feel him!" Spike screamed. "I can feel the pain he's in. He's calling to me." 

Spike let out a chocked sob, before attacking the wall with all his strength. Punch after punch, and Cordelia was certain Spike was going to tear the Hyperion down or break his hands trying. Out of the corner of her eye, Cordelia noticed movement. Turning, she watched as Tara slowly walked over to Spike. Just as he pulled back his arm to punch at the wall once more, Tara grabbed a hold of it. Blood dripped in a steady stream from his knuckes, his fingers already bruised.

"Spike." She said, softly. Spike attempted to twist his arm out of her grasp, but the motion was obviously half-hearted. Gently, she turned him around to face her. "It's okay."

"No." Spike mumbled, shaking his head. All the anger seemed to drain away from him as fast as it had appeared, leaving him looking broken and torn.

"Shhh." Tara soothed, pulling him towards her.

"No." Spike repeated, his voice cracking. He pressed his face against her hair, allowing the scent to ground him. "I can't do this."

"Yes, you can." Tara replied. "We'll get Xander back, I promise."

"...I'm not strong enough." Spike whispered. "I can't survive without him next to me."

"That's just fear talking." Tara informed him. "Everything will be okay."

"No, it won't." Spike said. A sudden sob wracked Spike's chest. Tears began to spill out of his eyes and he held onto Tara, as though she were his lifeline. "I can feel him."

"I know." Tara said, softly. She allowed Spike to press against her, his weight dragging them down to the ground. They landed on their knees, Spike's arms wrapped around her waist and his face buried in her neck as he cried.

"He's in so much pain." Spike sobbed. "And I can't do anything to help him."

"You are." Tara insisted. "You are doing so much. You are going to save him. We both will. Xander and Oz will be okay." Tara took a deep, shaky breath. "It will be okay."

"Oh, God." Cordelia finally said, as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. She wiped at her eyes, fighting back a sniff, and turned toward the office. "I need a tissue."

"I think I have something in my eye." Wesley announced, practically running from the lobby. Doyle watched the two go, before turning to Angel. Angel watched Tara and Spike, a confused expression on his face.

"So, what do you think?" Doyle asked.

"I... I don't know." Angel said, honestly. Doyle nodded and slipped his arm around Angel's waist. Gently, he pulled Angel upstairs and toward their bedroom. 

Tara watched them go over Spike's shoulder, but said nothing. As the sun rose higher in the L.A. sky, she continued to hold Spike as he finally gave into the turmoil that single night had caused.


	9. Chapter 9

The softness of a pillow-top mattress was the first thing Spike felt upon awakening. The second thing was a slow chill that told him that Xander was not in bed. Rolling over, Spike didn't bother to open his eyes and instead spoke out to the room. "Xander? ...Love? Get back to bed..."

When he received no answer, Spike slowly opened his eyes. His eyes had no trouble adjusting to the darkness and he soon realized why Xander wasn't in bed with him. The room was bare, except for the bed and small bedside table. Frowning, Spike fought to remember the details of last night. Too easily the images came to him, that of Xander being captured and the emotional breakdown he had in the Hyperion's lobby. 

Spike's hands tightly griped the comforter as he prepared himself for an onslaught of emotions. However, he found himself drained. The moment of weakness from the night before had left him tired, but in complete control. Heaving a thankful sigh, Spike slowly climbed out of the bed and made his way to the door.

The hallway was as blank and dreary as the room had been. Spike tilted his head and scanned his surroundings. A soft heartbeat, amongst two others, caught his attention. He quickly made his way down the hall, until he reached the stairs leading to the lobby. As he suspected, Tara was sitting on one of the sofas, talking softly with Wesley.

"I would suspect the electrical currents used by most computers would hold true to a computer chip." Wesley was commenting as he approached.

"Then a spell should work, right?" Tara asked, her voice filled with the curiosity she always developed when talking about magic. "Magic could interrupt the current and therefore short it out?"

"Well... I suppose." Wesley frowned. "But if that was true, then why haven't Giles or Willow tried this before?"

"Yes, they should have." Tara replied almost bitterly. "But-" Tara paused as she spotted Spike standing a few feet away. She sent Spike a soft smile, the kind that always made him want to defend her from the world. "Hey, sleepy head."

"Hello, pet." Spike smiled back.

"Angel's in the kitchen." She informed him. Spike glanced in the kitchen's direction, before looking back at her and Wesley. It was obvious that they would not be continuing their conversation until he left. Tara appeared to be up to something. Normally Spike wouldn't bother her until she relented and let him in on the secret. This time, however, Spike felt speaking with Angel was more important.

"Thanks." Spike replied, turning on his heal and entering the kitchen. He found Angel sitting at the table, with Doyle next to him. It seemed Cordelia had gone home for the evening. Ignoring Angel, Spike went over to the refrigerator and pulled out a bag of blood. He automatically went through the motions of heating it up and pouring it into a mug, before sitting down across from Angel and Doyle.

"Spike." Angel started. "We should talk about last night."

"Should we?" Spike replied, taking a sip of his blood. "How about we just talk about you helping me break into the Initiative and save my mate?"

"We really need to contact Buffy-" Angel began.

"No." Spike interrupted, giving Angel a dark look. "I know she's your bloody soul mate or some shit like that, but I do not want her to tip them off. Don't you get it, Peaches? She's fucking one of the bastards! You know as well as I do that when she's in a relationship she doesn't think he can do know wrong."

"Spike, you don't even know where to begin searching for the Initiative." Angel said. "I know that this is your mate, but... I really don't know if I feel comfortable helping you."

"Just like that, eh?" Spike asked, bitterly. "You'll turn your back on me, on the family that we used to be and may someday be again, just because you don't want to tread on the Slayer's domain? What happened to helping the helpless or whatever?"

"Look, Spike, I would help if I knew what we were going up against." Angel replied, firmly. "I'm not going to send Doyle, Wesley, and I into a situation that could get us killed. I have friends that rely on my decisions, Spike. I am not about to send them into a fight they won't win."

"And what about Xander?" Spike hissed. "Or what about Tara?"

"Look-" Doyle started, sounding as though he were about to try and calm them down.

"Does Tara deserve this?" Spike interrupted. "Look at her in there! It's not just my mate that's been captured, Angel. Oz is in the Initiative as well, and Tara is stuck on the outside. She doesn't deserve this. She is the most pure being I have ever met! And if you won't help her?"

Spike fell quiet, shaking his head.

"I understand." Angel began.

"No, you don't." Spike snapped. "You don't know what it's like. I can feel him. I can actually feel him, Angel. The only thing that is keeping me from storming into that place and trying to get to him back is Tara. She doesn't know what they are going through. She didn't have a chance to strengthen her bond with Oz, to the point where she could feel when he is in pain. But I can... I can feel every little jolt of agony my mate is going through."

Spike paused, staring directly into Angel's eyes. The older vampire didn't show a reaction, and merely listened to what Spike had to say. Slowly, Spike stood.

"Imagine what it would be like, knowing that your half-breed of a lover was being tortured and experimented on by humans." Spike said, his voice deceptively soft. "Imagine that, and just maybe you'll begin to understand what is happening here."

Spike turned on his heal and stormed into the living room, where Tara and Wesley sat huddled around a large book. Spike grabbed his duster off the back of the sofa and slipped it on.

"I hate to break into this little session." Spike said to them. "But Tara? We've got to go. We aren't getting any help here."

"Alright, Spike." Tara replied, sending him a worried look. She turned back to Wesley. "Do we have a deal?"

"Well, I... Angel won't be too happy." Wesley commented.

"Please?" Tara asked, resting a hand on his.

"Very well." Wesley nodded. "I will wait for your signal. ...One would think, as a Champion, he would help you, but... Well, you were correct then. When you give the word, err, signal I'll get him there. We'll help you."

"Thank you, Wesley." Tara smiled sweetly and pulled him into a hug. "You have the makings of a great friend."

"Ah, well, ah..." Wesley fumbled as she pulled away, his face going red. "That is to say..."

"I'll see you later, okay? Even if everything works out, we should keep in touch." Tara informed him, before joining Spike at the door.

"What was that all about?" Spike demanded as they exited the Hyperion, leaving a flushing Wesley in the lobby.

"Nothing." Tara replied. "Just a few precautions. I know that you probably have a plan in that head of yours, but I want to make sure there is no room of mistakes."

"Right." Spike nodded as they turned toward the car. 

"You do have a plan, right?" Tara asked, softly. She slipped her arm into his, her body practically molding into his side. Spike felt a sense of comfort wash over him at the closeness.

"I have a plan." Spike replied.

"Spike..." Tara took a deep breath. "How do plan to get past the chip?"

"I'll do what I have to do." Spike told his pack mate. "No matter how much pain it causes me."

"It could kill you." Tara whispered, causing Spike to stop walking. He looked over at her and pulled her closer. 

"It's worth it." Was Spike's reply.

"Yes, but..." Tara smiled. "You don't have to feel that pain."

"What do you mean?" Spike asked.

"Nothing... Well, I think I have a plan to help." Tara admitted. "I just want to test it first."

"Right, then."

"So, what about your plan?"

"My plan?" Spike paused. "I plan on getting a hold of Riley and forcing him to lead us to the Initiative."

 

Oz bent his knees and wrapped his arms around them, hoping to cover some part of his nude body and keep some of his dignity. Every so often, a soldier would walk past. Sometimes they looked inside the cell, but usually they ignored it.

Xander had been dropped off four hours ago, looking worse than when they had dragged him off the second time that day. He had been missing when Oz had first awakened and the werewolf could only pray that they wouldn't come for either of them again. From the way Xander looked, Oz wasn't sure if he would be able to survive the encounter.

"Ugh." Xander moaned, lifting his hand slightly. His brown eyes blinked open. There was a bright, glowing green ring around the iris of each eye, which had been present since Oz had last seen him.

"Xander?" Oz asked, softly. He straightened out his legs and pushed himself onto his knees. Slowly, he crawled over to his pack mate. "Are you okay?"

"My body feels like it's three sizes too big... Is it?" Xander turned his head to look at Oz. Oz fought down a gasp. There was a long line of stitches leading from his lower forehead, up into his hairline.

"No. It's normal size." Oz replied, gulping.

"Shit. We're still here." Xander mumbled. Oz reached over and helped him into a sitting position, Xander's back pressing against the white wall. "How long has it been?"

"About a day." Oz said.

"A day?" Xander asked, looking shocked. "It feels longer."

"The moon is up again." Oz announced. "I wonder... I wonder where Tara and Spike are."

"If I know Spike, and I do, he's probably in L.A. screaming at Deadboy in hopes that will get him to help find us." Xander said, his voice sounding raspy. "Tara's probably with him, trying to keep calm despite how much she's hurting."

"She's smart." Oz adds. "She'll probably come up with something and..."

"Not let Spike in on it, because otherwise, Spike would stop her." Xander finished.

"Yeah." Oz nodded. "I can almost feel her. It's this spot in the back of my mind that's always aware of her... But it's out of my grasp."

"The bond of mate hood." Xander gave him a small smile, before wincing as the stretch of skin pulled at his stitches. "As you grow closer, the bond will grow stronger. I can feel Spike as we speak. He's... Well, being very single-minded at the moment."

"We'll get out of here." Oz stated. "And I'll get to have that bond."

"Yeah, you will." Xander assured him. 

They looked at each other a moment, before turning toward the glass wall. The female doctor that had cut into Xander had appeared, holding her clipboard, as a duo of soldiers opened the glass panel a few inches.

"I want them separated. Bring the wolf to Lab 132." The doctor ordered. "Leave the other one here for now. I'm sure I'll find use for him, later."

Both Oz and Xander growled low in their throat, but were unable to do anything as one soldier pointed the nozzle of a tranquilizer gun through the glass opening. Less than a second after the dart buried itself into their skin, their world went black.


	10. Chapter 10

Spike sat on the hood of his Desoto, watching as Tara exited their apartment. He had no idea as to what she had been doing, but he trusted her and followed her order to remain outside. Swinging his legs, he observed her pleased expression. He slid off the car as she approached. "Are you planning on telling me what's going on?"

"No." Tara replied, smiling. "I plan on showing you. We're heading to the college next, right?"

"Yeah." Spike nodded. "It's barely midnight, so we should have enough time to find the commando bastard and get underground."

"Alright, then we better do this now." Tara took a deep breath, stepping in front of Spike. Slowly, she reached up and pressed the palms of her hands against the sides of his head. "This might hurt a little."

Spike frowned, but said nothing. He watched as Tara closed her eyes and a small crinkle developed between her eyebrows as she concentrated. Then, he felt it. A jolt, so similar to electricity, shoot through his brain. It happened again. There was no pain, just the strange feeling of a shock. Spike felt himself relax, closing his eyes along with Tara.

But then there was pain. Jolt after jolt of something otherworldly. Electric, yet not quite. It pulsed through his head, concentrating on a single spot so deep within his brain that he could not locate it. And just as soon as it started, the pain was over. Gasping for unneeded breath, Spike jerked back just as Tara let go.

Tara panted, her eyes wide and sweat dripped down her forehead. She took a moment to compose herself, before speaking. "Pinch me. Hard."

"What?" Spike asked, his voice croaking as he pressed his hand to his forehead. 

"Pinch me!" Tara ordered.

"Bloody hell, what are you going on about?" Spike snapped. Tara narrowed her eyes stubbornly. Growling in frustration, Spike used his free hand to reach over and pinch Tara on the arm. Tara let out a yelp and rubbed at the spot, a bruise already forming. "There! Feel better now?"

"Yes." Tara said, almost smugly. "It worked."

"What worked?" Spike asked, finally letting go of his head. His mind felt muddled, but was slowly clearing.

"That pinch hurt, Spike." Tara glanced down at the bruise. "A lot, actually."

"I'm sorry, pet." Spike immediately said. He paused. "Wait, but I didn't get shocked by the chip... Bugger me! What did you do?"

"Basically, I fried the computer chip." Tara replied, her voice soft. She walked past Spike and to the passenger-side door. "Wesley helped me find the right electrical wave, in magical terms, that would most likely work. I tried it out on that flashy phone Xander bought last month, first."

"I..." Spike cut himself off and climbed into the car. He started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot, turning toward UC-Sunnydale's dormitories. After a moment of silence, he glanced at Tara. "Thank you."

It was stupidly simple to find Riley Finn. Spike was shocked to find him standing outside his dorm, dressed in army gear. The idea that these people had remained hidden so long was almost laughable. They parked the car and waited until Riley was alone, fiddling with his rifle, before ganging up on him.

Riley didn't know what hit him. One moment, he was waiting to start his patrol. Next, strong arms were dragging him around the corner and slamming him into the wall. Spike's face sneered at him, his teeth looking white in the dark. Beside to him, Tara stood, her arms crossed and a sour look on her face.

"Hello, sweet pea." Spike whispered, leaning in close. "You're going to do us a favor, yeah?"

"Fuck off, Spike." Riley snapped, moving to lift his rifle. Spike's hand shot forward and enclosed around his neck. 

"Hmm, how long do you suppose it takes a human to die from lack of oxygen?" Spike asked, squeezing Riley's neck until the soldier squeaked in pain.

"I suppose we could find out." Tara commented.

"Oh, good idea, pet." Spike grinned, watching as Riley's face turned red, followed by a bright plum color. Spike leaned in close once more. "Feel that? That's your throat closing in on itself. And that pain right there? That's the muscles in your neck fighting to reopen the air passage. But they can't, can they?"

"Spike." Tara said, stepping closer. "We need him alive, remember? We will kill him later."

"The lady is always right." Spike nodded. Oh, how he wished to feel this man's blood on his hands. He released Riley's neck, sliding his hand down the commando's chest and then slipping round his side to pull the rifle out of Riley's limp hand. "Bet you're wondering what happened to the chip, eh?"

Riley said nothing, his jaw clenched.

"Staying quiet? What a good little soldier." Spike praised, as though speaking to a puppy. "Well, let me just tell you this, hmm? That little piece of plastic, metal, and wires trapped within my skull isn't a problem anymore. So, I can cut you down to size, literally. Now, if you don't want that to happen, it would be best to cooperate."

Again, Riley didn't speak.

"Good boy." Spike smirked, slipping his hand behind Riley's body to take hold of the back of his belt. He yanked Riley forward and then turned him. Pushing Riley ahead of him, Spike spoke once more. "Lead the way, Fido."

Riley stiffened a moment, before glancing over at Tara. The blonde witch tilted her head in a perfect imitation of Spike, before giving him a sneer. She stepped forward and slipped her hand into one of Riley's big pockets, where she pulled out a sleek pistol.

"You won't be needing this." Tara informed him, placing the gun into the hem of her skirt for safe-keeping. "Take us to the Initiative, Riley."

"They'll kill you if you step foot inside, you know." Riley finally said, his voice low with what could have been fear.

"Oh, I'm sure you know all the secret passages." Spike commented from behind him. "Don't make me wait, boy. You won't like me to get angry, after all."

"You won't get away with this." Riley hissed, but he began walking. 

It wasn't much of a shock to find that the Initiative's entrance was inside the dormitory. They entered through a small elevator, where Riley spoke the password. The elevator barely made a noise as is moved downward, and soon the plain white door was opening to reveal a pure white hallway. They were the only ones present and Spike wasn't able to see any cameras along the ceiling.

Spike pushed Riley forward, his hand tightening around the commando's belt, while his other hand squeezed Riley's arm in warning. He was not about to let his hostage get away now. 

"Where is everyone?" Tara whispered, pulling out the pistol. She gripped it tightly in both hands, pointing it toward the ground.

"Answer her." Spike ordered.

"The scientists are most likely in the labs." Riley replied, his voice turning stiff with anger. "The soldiers finished debriefing an hour ago and are now patrolling Sunnydale. Those that remain here are guarding the cells and scientists."

"We need to find Xander." Spike said. "Where would he be?"

"I don't-" Riley started. He was suddenly shoved into the wall, Spike growling at him in game face. Spike stared at him with yellow eyes a moment, before reaching over and gently pulling the gun out of Tara's hands. Riley gulped as the pistol was aimed for his shoulder.

"As a soldier you should know how many bullets a man can sustain before death catches up to him." Spike growled. "Let's see if we can push that limit, hmm?"

The echo of a gunshot bounced down the hall and back. Tara jerked in surprise, before gasping as Riley let out a yell of pain. Spike calmly handed the gun back to her. She took it and checked to see that there were only five bullets left.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Spike asked, reaching forward with his hand. Riley let out a painful moan as Spike pushed his index finger against the bullet wound, blood trickling around the pale finger. "There's more where that came from, if you don't take us to Xander and Oz."

"I..." Riley's breath came in short gasps, his eyes darting between the two wildly. "Oz... The werewolf."

"Where?" Tara demanded, raising the gun once more.

"The laboratories." Riley replied, pressing himself into the white wall, in order to hold himself upright. "They transferred one of the werewolves into Lab 132 for regenerative studies. It might be him."

"What's regenerative studies?" Spike asked, his voice growing colder than before.

"They want to see if werewolves can heal themselves." Riley stated.

Spike let out a growl, his face returning to it's human form. He grabbed Riley by his injured shoulder and yanked him upright. "And Xander?"

"I don't know." Riley insisted. "Honestly. I'm just a soldier!"

"Soldier." Spike muttered, his lip curling. He turned to Tara. "We'll get to Oz first. He might know where they are holding Xander. If not, we'll capture someone who's of actual use to us, instead of this piece of shit."

"Right." Tara nodded. 

They continued down the white hallway, before turning down another. Riley took them along a maze of passageways. They had yet to pass any other soldiers, or even scientists. A sense of nervousness washed over Spike. This wasn't normal. There should be more people. They should have encountered someone else by now. What was happening to keep everyone in one area? 

Just as the thought crossed Spike's mind, they turned another corner, which led to a doorway. The doorway opened up to a large room, with electrical equipment lining the walls. There were a few other door leading out to unknown areas and in the center of the room was a large pit. Inside the pit, Spike could see a peace-loving Corclont demon strapped to a steel table.

Before Spike could even acknowledge anything else, a swarm of soldiers were surrounding them. With a growl, Spike pulled Riley in front of them to block Tara and him from their aim. He began backing up, hoping to get back into the hall and make it to relative safety. But before he could reach the passage, a gray door slid closed, blocking their path.

"Halt!" The commanding officer ordered. The man focused on them with his gun, lifting a walkie-talkie to his mouth. "We've got an unidentified hostile and unknown female in Level C's security room, along with a wounded soldier."

"You bastard!" Spike hissed into Riley's ear. He should have known. The commando had led them into a trap. The Initiative must have caught on to them being there early on, possibly while in the elevator. That's why there were no soldiers nearby.

"Spike, duck!" Tara ordered. 

Spike dropped down into a crouch, twisting around until he was facing Tara. The blonde witch's gray eyes narrowed as she calmly lifted the pistol and aimed for Riley's head. Before Spike could blink, the trigger was pulled. Blood splattered across Spike's lowered face as Riley Finn fell limp in his grip.

"Fire at will!" The commanding officer yelled, before stepping back in order to speak clearly into the walkie-talkie. "Warning: We officially have two hostiles on Level C. Sound the alarm. I repeat, sound the alarm."

 

Xander lightly trailed his finger across the stitches along the side of his head. When he had first discovered them, after Oz was taken, he had assumed they had placed a chip inside his skull. This proved wrong, however, when he had attacked the last soldier to come collect him for experimentation.

He had gotten out of that situation with a new wound. Now, Xander could only assume they had taken out a part of his brain or merely cracked it open to see if it looked like a hyena's or not. These people seemed the type of psychos to do that sort of thing, after all.

With a sigh, Xander lowered his hand and thumped his back against the white wall. He hated to admit it, but he was bored. He was terrified of what they were doing to Oz, along with scared that he'd never see Spike or Tara again. But after all of those emotions, he was bored to the point of paranoia.

"Geeze, people, don't leave me hanging in here like this." Xander muttered. "You're giving me too much time to think."

Xander sighed again, then watched as a group of soldiers frantically ran past. He leaned forward, forcing his hearing to pick up on their words.

"Get the vampire!" The static surrounded the words informed Xander that it was coming from one of the commando's walkie-talkies. "Shoot her, dammit!"

Xander stared in shock at the space that the soldiers had just ran past. He looked up at the ceiling as the lights began blinking red. Xander's lip twitched, before blossoming into a smile. Spike and Tara were here and they were causing enough chaos to cause the entire Initiative to react. Xander let out a relieved, almost hysterical giggle. He was saved.


	11. Chapter 11

Spike wasn't sure if what he was experiencing was real. He and Tara had been battling the soldiers for no more than ten minutes now, and the place was already littered with bodies. Some were knocked unconscious, but the majority were dead. Spike snatched one of the soldiers as he aimed his gun at Tara, swiftly snapping his neck. It was all he could do. Simply keep them from gunning down Tara, while she destroyed Level C's security room. 

It had happened so fast, Spike wasn't even certain how they had reached this point. One moment he was watching as Tara shot Riley Finn dead and the next he was being pushed into the corner by his pack mate as she suddenly erupted in sparks. When his vision had cleared, Tara was hovering in the middle of the room, her feet a foot off the ground. Her blonde hair had turned stark white, her eyes glowed like the sun. But it wasn't like Willow when she was on a magic high. This was something different.

Tara was nothing less than a Goddess.

Spike tore his eyes away from Tara's form, watching as another one of her lightning bolts struck down yet another soldier.

"Get the vampire!" One soldier yelled, gesturing toward Spike. Spike launched himself into a fight with two more soldiers, throwing punches and kicks faster than the wind. He felt alive! He had his bite back. He was able to defend himself and kill humans without a single bit of pain.

With a roar of pure pleasure, Spike grabbed the head of the nearest soldier and yanked. Blood splattered across his already bloody duster as the head came clear off the body. Tossing the dismembered head to the side, he immediately turned toward the next commando. 

Just as he made to reach for him, the soldier stopped short, eyes wide. Letting out a soft gurgle, the man dropped to the ground with a thump, a large piece of metal protruding from his back. Shocked, Spike looked up to see Tara giggling as she caused yet another computer to erupt in a shower of sparks.

"Shoot her, dammit!" The commanding officer ordered, lifting his gun. Spike let out a loud growl and threw himself at the officer. They fell to the ground amongst the rubble. The officer fumbled for his weapon, but Spike snatched it out of his grasp.

"Don't you know guns are dangerous?" Spike asked, shifting into game face. He lunged for the man's throat, sinking his teeth into the soft flesh. 

Blood exploded into his mouth, flowing down his throat like the Nile River flowed through the desert. Desire sparked through Spike's body. It had been so long since he had had human blood straight from the source, Xander not included. For Xander's blood tasted sweet, with a hint of animal. This man's blood was tangy and coppery. Spike wanted more.

Yanking his head back, Spike panted needlessly. He carefully wiped a stray drop of blood from his chin and stood. He reached for the next random soldier, his bloodlust taking over and overriding the tiny amount of protest his soul provided out of habit. He drained this one quickly, barely taking the time to enjoy the taste. As he let him drop to the floor, the lights above them began to flash red.

Blinking away the tingling in his head, Spike turned to survey the damage done. All of the computers were destroyed and over half of the soldiers were dead. A small group had gathered along the other side of the pit, backs literally pressed against the wall. 

Tara tilted her head, watching them with an owl-like curiosity. Then, with a smile, she raise her hand. Palm turned toward the ceiling, Tara began to whisper. A ball of energy grew above her hand, hovering like a small firefly. Tara smiled once again and, with the other hand, flicked the light toward the group of soldiers.

Spike had to cover his eyes from the light. Screams filled the air and when the light died, there was nothing left of the soldiers.

"Bloody hell." Spike muttered.

"More are coming." Tara stated, her voice tinkling. It reminded Spike of Tinkerbell from Disney's Peter Pan, which Xander had forced him to watch last month. Tara turned to Spike, her eyes glancing past him and at the doorway beyond. The glowing orbs widened. "Spike! Duck!"

Spike barely had time to follow the order. Even with his vampire speed, he wasn't fast enough to get away from the shower of bullets. He fell to the ground, pain lacing through his body. Ten, twelve. Blinking up at the ceiling, Spike counted twelve bullet wounds in his back.

He could hear Tara scream, her voice echoing around the room like a Banshee. And then a shadow fell over him as he began to get up. He could continue. He could fight. But the shadow did not belong to Tara, for she was suddenly glowing like a nova ready to erupt. A shock of magic crashed through the air, felt by even the magically dumb soldiers.

Gasping needlessly, Spike pushed himself onto his knees and threw a punch toward the soldier standing over him. He missed. What he felt next was so familiar, for he had felt it in his nightmares. The feeling of man-made electricity coursed through his body. As Tara screamed again, this time in pain, everything went black.

 

Wesley Wyndham-Pryce often felt like the only placed he belonged was in the library. While he appreciated Angel allowing him refuge in the Hyperion, he had the suspicion he was always interrupting something. Angel and Doyle had such a strong, deep relationship that the feeling of separation from the duo was often felt.

Especially when they were fighting.

"Don't you get it, Angel?" Doyle was yelling. Wesley hardly ever heard the half-demon raise his voice. He often got agitated and his voice would raise slightly, but never to the point where Wesley could hear him in the library.

Wesley felt a moment of discomfort, before walking over to the door. He knew he shouldn't listen in on the conversation, but he couldn't help himself.

"Spike needed your help." Doyle hissed. Wesley carefully slipped out into the hall and peered into the lobby. Doyle had his arms crossed and was looking up at his lover stubbornly. Angel looked as though he wanted to run away. "I realize you have this big beef with trespassing on Buffy's domain, but Angel, man! Spike asked you for help! How often does that happen?"

"I'm not about to let you or anyone else get hurt because of Spike's problems." Angel snapped.

"And what about Xander or this Oz fellow?" Doyle asked. "I don't know about you, but I don't think I would be able to live with myself if they got hurt or killed."

"Doyle-" Angel started.

"Think about it, Angel." Doyle interrupted. "Just stop and think, for once! You know Spike was telling the truth. Spike may be an annoying little vampire who doesn't know the meaning of shutting up, but he wouldn't lie about something like this." Angel opened his mouth to speak, but Doyle continued on. "No one can pretend that kind of pain, Angel."

"What do you expect me to do?" Angel asked, rubbing at his face. "Rush in there to save the day? Because, fine, I'll do it!"

Wesley turned away as Angel pulled Doyle against him, most likely in an attempt to calm his Seer. A pang shot through Wesley's heart, causing him to feel as though he were the loneliest person on Earth. With a sigh, Wesley leaned against the wall and allowed Doyle and Angel their privacy.

It was then that he felt it. There were no words to describe it, for he had never felt it before. He had known, when agreeing to the small connection Tara made between them, that it would feel strange, but he had no idea it would be this way. It could only be described as a ripple, running through his body, his soul, his being. Magic in nature, he knew at once that it was Tara.

Something had gone wrong. Tara was using the last of her energy in an attempt to fight off an unknown enemy. Wesley's breath caught in his throat and he found himself toppling to the ground with a soft thud. 

"Wesley?" Doyle's voice called. Wesley did not have the energy to reply. The sound of footsteps filled his ears. "Wesley! Man, what happened?"

"Tara." Wesley said, drawing in a shaky breath. Angel reached down and helped him sit up. Wesley leaned against it, his head hitting the wall with a thump.

"What about Tara?" Angel asked.

"Something went wrong." Wesley said, wincing as another ripple washed over him. Then, everything seemed to go motionless. The connection was broken. 

"What do you mean?" Doyle knelt in front of him, worry evident on his face.

"Tara and I... We created a magical link between us, so I would know if something went wrong when they snuck into the Initiative." Wesley informed them. 

"That was dangerous, Wesley." Angel said, his face looking grim. 

"Yes, I'm well aware of that." Wesley replied. "But... I could not live with myself, Angel, if they were to get captured and no one was able to help them. It was my choice and my idea."

"But what if Tara drew power from you?" Angel asked, growing agitated. "She might not have-"

"Tara is strong." Wesley interrupted, slowly pushing himself to his feet. "She has the strongest power, with barely a taint of darkness, that I have ever seen. Willow's power looks like a large black mass compared the purity of Tara's soul. I can assure you, there was no chance of Tara losing that kind of control. Besides, the link is broken now."

"Broken?" Doyle's green eyes darted toward Angel and back. "That's not good, is it?"

"It means one of two things." Wesley said, closing his eyes. "She's either dead, which would explain the abrupt end to the connection. Or... She's unconscious. I felt... She was using the last of her energy for some sort of offensive attack. It's possible it drained her, leaving her defenseless."

"We need to get to Sunnydale." Angel stated, turning on his heal and making his way to the weapons cabinet.

"Do you have a plan?" Wesley asked, rushing after him, Doyle at his side.

"We go in. We cut our way through and save a few souls." Angel said, glancing over his shoulder. "That a good enough plan for you?"

"What made you change your mind?" Doyle asked, curiously.

"Maybe I figured out that you were right." Angel offered.

"And that you've been acting like a spoiled brat who wants to get his way?" Doyle finished.

"Don't push it." Angel said with a slight smile.

"That still doesn't stop the fact that we don't have a plan." Wesley pointed out, grabbing his coat. "And what about Cordelia? Our clients?" He paused, fingering his sleeve. "Perhaps we should call Gunn? He could watch the hotel for us."

"Sure." Angel agreed. He shared a look with Doyle, before gesturing toward the office. "Why don't you take care of that?"

Despite the situation, Wesley found a gathering of giddiness in his stomach. He couldn't help it, he seemed to develop that creation every time Charles Gunn was brought into the picture. He quickly made his way to the office, calling the small warehouse that the younger man used as a base. After speaking with one of Gunn's friend, he found himself talking to Gunn himself.

"Hey, English." Gunn's voice sounded deep and rich against Wesley's ear. 

"Ah, Charles." Wesley stammered. He cleared his throat before continuing. "There appears to be a problem in Sunnydale that we need to go take care of."

"What kind of problem?" Gunn asked.

"Apparently, the American military has created a unit underneath Sunnydale." Wesley explain. "They are experimenting on non-humans. While this may seem fine and dandy to some, they are also capturing harmless demons and half-humans. A couple of friends have gone missing and we are going to retrieve them."

"Okay, but what do you want me to do?" 

"Could you watch the Hyperion?" Wesley asked. "Take care of anything that might come up and... Inform Cordelia of our departure."

"Man, I am not telling that woman that you left without informing her." Gunn insisted. "Do I want to die by the hand of a spoiled white girl? No."

"Yes, alright. We'll... Leave her a note." Wesley offered.

"Man, it's so sad that we are all afraid of that girl." Gunn commented. "But I'll be over within the hour. Hey... And English?"

"Yes, Charles?"

"Be careful, okay?" Gunn's voice had gone soft. Wesley felt as though his head had floated away from his body. Taking a deep breath, Wesley smiled.

"I will." Wesley replied. They said goodbye and Wesley made his way back into the lobby. "So, have you developed a plan yet?"

"We'll inform Giles of our presence." Angel informed him. "Otherwise, we'll keep a low profile and sneak into the base. Hopefully we'll be able to get in, grab everyone, and get out without too much of a fuss."

Wesley nodded and grabbed one of the bags of weapons Angel had prepared. The nervousness that always enveloped him before a battle began. Shoving it away, Wesley pushed through the Hyperion's front door and to the car awaiting inside. 

Sadly, they forgot to write Cordelia a note, leaving an unsuspecting Gunn to her anger.

 

"Professor Walsh." The solider saluted along with his two companions. "You wished to see us?"

"Yes." Walsh turned toward the glass wall, leading into a small cell. Inside a girl of barely twenty lay on the ground, eyes closed. Walsh had been observing her for some time, watching as her hair slowly bleed from white back to dirty blonde. "This is the girl that attacked Level C with the vampire."

Walsh glanced over her shoulder and at the only other occupied cell in the hallway. Inside a vampire was strapped to the ground with chains. He had yet to awaken and Walsh suspected he would not be too happy when he realized what had happened.

"Ma'am?" The soldier asked, looking rather confused.

"No crime should go unpunished, Forrest." Walsh stated. "This girl destroyed an entire security room. Those computers are completely unsalvageable. She also slaughtered over one hundred of your fellow soldiers. This girl is no more human than the demons you capture for me every day."

"I'm not sure I understand, ma'am." Forrest admitted.

"It's simple." Walsh gave him a smile. She reached over and swiped her card through the glass wall's lock. The wall began to slide open. Walsh eyed at the girl a moment, before turning back to Forrest. Forrest gulped as she reached forward and undid the buckle of his pants. "Punish her. Simple as that."

With that said, Walsh made her way down the hall, listening as her soldiers entered the girl's cell. She paused briefly in front of the vampire's enclosure. The vampire's blonde head moved slowly, his lips forming a slight frown. Walsh smirked. Perhaps he would awaken in time to see the show.


	12. Chapter 12

Wesley shifted the bag on his shoulder, watching as Doyle rang Rupert Giles' doorbell. After a few seconds, the door opened to reveal Giles holding a book. The ex-librarian didn't even glance up. He simply turned around and walked back into his living room. Wesley raised an eyebrow out of amusement.

"Good evening, Rupert." Wesley greeted through the door. Giles looked up in shock.

"Oh, good heavens." Giles pulled off his glasses. "I thought you were Buffy."

"That's quite alright." Wesley and the others entered, closing the door behind them. "There is, well, something rather urgent we must tell you."

"Is something wrong?" Giles asked, setting aside he book.

"Yes." Wesley nodded. He opened his mouth to explain, but was cut off by Angel. Wesley adjusted the bag once more and tried to not feel put out.

"Have you seen Xander or Oz the last two days?" Angel asked, his voice sounding grave, as it usually did.

"I can't say that I have." Giles admitted.

"Well-" Wesley started.

"Giles!" Buffy exclaimed, storming into the apartment. She came to a halt when she spotted Angel. A strange look crossed her face, before she took a deep breath and brushed past him and over to her Watcher. "Giles, we have a problem."

"I'm starting to get that feeling." Giles commented, still eyeing Angel, Wesley, and Doyle.

"It's Xander." Buffy said. She paused and turned toward Angel. "Wait... Why are you here?"

"Spike stopped by for a visit." Wesley explained. "He wanted us to help him get Xander and Oz back... Angel refused, so Spike left. But not before Tara forged a small magical link with me, so I would know if something went wrong. We are here because something indeed went wrong."

"I know." Buffy said softly. She turned back to Giles, a worried expression evident on her face. "I can't find Riley. We were suppose to meet for patrol, but he never showed. I went into the Initiative to see if I could find out where he is. Things aren't going too well down there. Apparently a hostile and some unknown female destroyed Level C. They wouldn't tell me how, though. I didn't want to get in their way, so I turned down this one hall that Riley never let me down. Giles..."

"What did you see?" Giles asked.

"I'm not stupid." Buffy said, her voice hardening. "I know when something bad is going on. It may take me a moment to figure it out, but I do catch on sooner or later. They had demons locked up down there like animals in the circus. Giles... Not all of them were dangerous. Some of them I didn't even feel a drop of evil in. We've got to stop this. I... I was wrong. Spike came to me for help first and I turned him down."

A tear rolled down Buffy cheek as her eyes widened. "Oh God, Xander and Oz could be dead because of me."

"Hey, calm down." Doyle said, stepped forward to kneel in front of her. "There isn't no use in crying now. We've got to go save them, yeah?"

"We've got to do more than save them." Buffy insisted. "I want the Initiative brought down. This is my town and those are my demons. I get to choose who lives or dies and who stays or leaves. The Initiative is out of here."

"I'm glad you see it that way." Wesley said, smiling. "Now, you said that you are able to get inside? How?"

"Umm, I sort of have clearance." Buffy blushed slightly and pulled out a small I.D. card.

"That's good, we'll need it." Angel replied. "How many entrances are there?"

"There's at least two that I know of." Buffy informed them, standing. She walked over to the large chest in Giles' living room and began pulling out weapons. "There's the entrance through Riley's dormitory. I don't suggest using that one. There's a heavy amount of security on it. They'd be likely to know we are there the moment we step foot inside the elevator. The other is a back entrance. There's no security cameras. It's the entrance that they use when they need to transport an item that can't be around any electrical equipment."

"We'll take that one, then." Angel nodded.

"We need to stop by and grab Willow." Buffy informed them, handing a bag of weapons to Giles and strapping a knife onto her belt. "We'll need her to hack into the computers."

"Okay, then." Angel looked at everyone grimly. "Let's go."

 

The first thing that he was aware of was the soft sound of crying, followed by the shuffling sound of someone dressing. Frowning, Spike forced himself to take stock of his surroundings. He was in a small white cell. Chains connected the manacles on his wrists and feet to a small hole in the floor.

He could feel bits of metal in his back, where the twelve bullets had penetrated. His skin had already started to heal and Spike knew he didn't have much time before the wounds closed completely, leaving the bullets stuck in his back until he was able to cut them out. 

Wincing, Spike turned onto his side and looked out into the hall. He watched with narrowed eyes as a group of men exited the cell across from his. He barely recognized one, but wasn't able to come up with a name to fit the face. He listened to their footsteps as they echoed down the hallway, before turning back to the cell.

"Pet?" Spike called softly, when he saw who it was. 

His heart twisted at the sight of Tara. She was curled up, arms wrapped around her knees, with her face buried in her arms. Her skirt looked like it had been ripped up one leg and she was missing her shirt. Her feet were bare and a dark bruise was forming on one ankle.

"Tara?" Spike called again. Tara's head lifted slightly, causing her chocking sobs to no longer be muffled. Spike managed to get onto his hands and knees, crawling as close to the glass wall as possible, without touching it. "Are you okay?"

Tara shook her head, then slowly scooted closer. As she straightened up, Spike was able to see more of her body. Without her shirt, she was clad in just a white bra. Her skirt was about to fall apart, held together only by the belt around her waist. Another bruise was forming at her waist, disappearing into the skirt's coverage. Her lip was bleeding and chin slowly swelling.

"Pet?" Spike asked.

"I'm..." Her voice was slightly muffled by the separation, but still they managed to hear one another. Tara fought down her tears and nodded. "I'll be fine."

He watched as Tara reached forward and lightly touched the glass. He opened his mouth to order her to stop, so she wouldn't get shocked, but found the thought was fruitless. Her hand touched the glass and nothing was set off. Spike suspected it was becuase of the damage Tara had caused the security system. If they were still on Level C, then they problably hadn't been able to start some of the safety devices up yet.

"Can you get us out of here?" Spike asked. "Cast a little mojo?"

Tara closed her eyes a moment, before shaking her head. "I'm drained. It'll take me a few hours to regenerate. It would be easier if we were near the ground or some plants... But the walls are too thick. I can't feel the Earth's energy very well."

"I suppose that means we wait." Spike sighed and rested his hand on the glass.

Silence descended. The two captives sat as close to the glass as possible, the sight of one another being their only comfort. Now, they could only wait and pray help would come.

 

The main security room and control panel was much smaller than the security on each level. Buffy entered the room silently and calmly shot each soldier inside with an strong tranquilizer dart. They would be out for at least a day, plenty of time for the group to save their friends and set the Initiative on it's path to self destruction.

"Willow?" Buffy nodded to the young witch. Willow took a deep breath and sat down at the main computer and began typing. The others spanned out around the room. Wesley peered at a large wall of security cameras. His attention was drawn to a particular camera.

"Isn't that-?" Wesley started.

"Oh, God." Buffy whispered. "It's Oz."

The image showed Oz, strapped to a metal table and completely nude. He looked unconscious, which Wesley suspected was a good thing. There was a large number was gashes along his body and the blood that was pooled on the table underneath him indicated there were more.

"Willow, where is this?" Buffy asked, pointing at the screen.

Willow glanced over and then began typing in earnest. "It's in the labs. Level F... Looks like Lab 132."

"Can you disable all the security cameras on that level?" Buffy questioned.

"No, but I can put them on a loop. They'll replay the current image over and over again." Willow replied.

"Good, do it." Buffy turned to the others. "Angel, Doyle? Stay here with Willow and make sure no one interferes with her work. Keep an eye on the security cameras and see if you can spot Xander or the others. Wesley? You're coming with me."

Buffy's tone left no room for argument, so Wesley grabbed his crossbow and a sword. They were silent on the way down to Level F. Every time they crossed a soldier or scientist, Buffy shot them with a tranquilizer dart. Wesley took a brief moment to wonder how she had such a plentiful supply of them, but pushed the silly question out of his mind.

Unlike most of the floors in the Initiative, Level F appeared to be rather straight forward. They quickly made their way down the hallway, passing each lab without glancing inside. Once they reached Lab 132, Buffy opened it with her I.D. card and stepped inside. 

"God, it's worse than I thought." Buffy gasped, hand covering her mouth. 

Indeed, Oz looked no more than a corpse. It was evident that he was still breathing, though Wesley was certain that the only reason he had survived this torment was due to being a werewolf. Carefully, Wesley fought down the nausea the sight of Oz's torn flesh caused and set to work removing the straps that bound him to the table.

"He needs medical attention, immediately." Wesley informed Buffy, wincing as one strapped fell away to reveal that a few layers of skin had been ripped off Oz's chest.

Buffy nodded weakly and ran over to the cabinets lining the lab's wall. She quickly shuffled through them, pulling out gauze, a set of needles, what looked to be morphine, and sutures.

"I don't want to move him without cleaning the wounds first." Wesley said. He paused, frowning as the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway.

"Too late for cleaning. We've got to grab him and go." Buffy said, snatching up a large white sheet. There was no doubt in Wesley's mind, as he helped Buffy cover Oz, that the sheet was meant to cover Oz up once he was dead. For some reason, this angered Wesley to the point of boiling.

Buffy had just picked Oz up and thrown him over her shoulder, causing a soft moan to emit from the unconscious werewolf's throat, when the door opened to reveal a male scientist and what appeared to be his assistant. Wesley, seeing nothing but red due to his anger, pulled out his crossbow and shot the scientist. The man dropped to the floor dead, with a bolt protruding from his forehead. Just as his assistance opened her mouth to scream, Wesley shot her.

"Wesley!" Buffy exclaimed in shock as the assistant dropped dead as well.

"Now is no time to be picky, Buffy." Wesley calmly told her. "These men are no longer human. The darkness in their hearts has seen to that."

"Oh, I'm not picky." Buffy replied, stepping over the bodies to get into the hallway. "I'm amazed. You're different. I noticed it earlier, but now I can really see it."

"Umm, err, thank you." Wesley stammered.

"You're welcome." Buffy smiled. Wesley found himself smiling back, his anger from seeing Oz in that condition ebbing slightly.

"Halt!" A voice bellowed from down the hall. Buffy and Wesley turned to watch four soldiers running toward them.

"Well, crap." Buffy said. She adjusted Oz on her shoulder, then reached out and tugged on Wesley's sleeve. "Come on, time to go."

They immediately set off in the other direction, turning down one hall and then another. The soldiers fell back a ways, but still remained close enough to be a threat. Glancing over her shoulder, Buffy quickly made a choice. She yanked her I.D. card out of her pocket and swiped it through the lock on one of the doors. Grabbing Wesley's arm once more, she slammed her shoulder into the lab's door. 

They both ducked inside, panting. The sound of footsteps ran past the door, without pausing. Satisfied that they were safe for the time being, Buffy set Oz down on an empty steel table. Wesley had walked across the room, carefully lifting the white sheet that covered what appeared to be a body.

"Bloody hell." Wesley gasped.

"What is it?" She walked over and took the medical supplies out of Wesley's hand. Setting them aside, she peered under the sheet. "Okay, what in the hell is that?"

Wesley yanked the sheet all the way off, revealing the body of some sort of creature. Parts of it were made of a machine, some human, and quite a bit of demon. "I believe this would be why the Initiative takes their demons in alive, instead of dead. They're experimenting on them, in order to create this. ...The perfect soldier."

"Okay, now I'm really mad." Buffy announced, grabbing the medical supplies and walking over to Oz. She uncovered him and began inspecting the wounds. As she worked on Oz, Wesley began to inspect the room farther. Along one wall was a long steel table with a sink, in which a tall, cylinder stood. It glowed a bright green.

"I'll be..." Wesley glanced back at the creature and then at the cylinder. "It's a battery of some kind. That's why he's not moving."

"You mean that green thing is what's going to make bad boy over there wake up?" Buffy asked, walking over with a piece of the white sheet. She turned on the sink and wet the sheet. She eyed the cylinder for a moment, before snatching it up and hurling it at the cement wall. The cylinder broke in half, the green liquid oozing out.

"That may be radioactive." Wesley pointed out.

"Possibly." Buffy agreed, before returning her task. Wesley sighed dramatically, suddenly realizing why Giles always had the pinched look to his face when dealing with The Slayer. With that thought in his head, Wesley walked over and began bandaging Oz's wounds.


	13. Chapter 13

Doyle glanced up from observing the security cameras as something heavy slammed into the control room's door. There was a pause in the room, as everyone held their breath. Then, the door swung open and Wesley ran inside. Buffy stormed in after him, dragging something heavy behind her.

"Shut the door!" She yelled, falling to her knees and panting. Doyle pushed it shut and locked it, watching as Wesley leaned against the far wall. He slid downward until he was sitting, sweat forming across his forehead.

"Are you okay?" Doyle asked.

"Yeah." Buffy nodded, wiping at her face.

"The soldiers caught up with us half-way here." Wesley informed them. "We managed to lose them, though."

"We need to finish patching up Oz." Buffy announced, tugging the bloodstained sheet off of the werewolf. Willow let out a small gasp at the sight of Oz's body and quickly turned back to the computer to avoid seeing it. Doyle knelt down and began bandaging the last of Oz's wounds as Buffy caught her breath. "Did you find the others?"

"Yes." Willow replied. "The damage sustained to Level C's security room was caused by a vampire and a woman with unknown power. I looked up their holding cells. Give me a second and they should show up on the middle screen."

"Wait... Tara and Spike did that?" Buffy asked, looking shocked.

"Apparently, so." Willow replied. Buffy frowned slightly and said nothing more, her face looking confused. Willow twisted in her seat. "There, they should be up."

The middle security screen flashed over to reveal a small hall with four holding cells. Only two of them were occupied. It took the camera a moment to focus. Angel took a step closer, narrowing his eyes as the image of Spike appeared on the screen. He was still in his leather duster, but even with that covering him Angel could see the large smear of blood on the floor. Spike was injured.

Across from Spike's cell was Tara. Angel frowned at the sight of her undress, unsure if that meant what he thought it meant. The two were currently leaning against the glass, staring at each other. They did not speak.

"Where is this?" Angel asked.

"Level C." Willow replied, looking back at her computer. "High level security."

"I don't see any guards." Angel said.

"That's not exactly what they mean by high level." Willow said, nervously. "The front walls are five inches of bullet proof glass. The walls a pure cement, as are the floors. There are very few members of the Initiative that have clearance to enter it." Willow tapped at the keyboard a moment. "It looks like Professor Walsh and a small, elite group of soldiers have clearance... Riley is one of them."

"Can you hack into the system and give someone clearance?" Angel asked. Willow frowned slightly, before nodding.

"It will take me a moment, but with the security on the level being down it shouldn't be too hard. Who should I allow in?" Willow asked, twisting back around in her seat. Angel walked over to one of the unconscious guards and pulled out his I.D. card. He handed it to Willow.

"What about Xander?" Wesley asked. Angel opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a low groan. Oz's head shifted, his face grimacing in pain. Wesley dug into his pockets and pulled out a syringe and small bottle of morphine. He crawled over to Oz's side and prepped the needle.

"Oz?" Doyle asked, wrapping up the last wound. Oz's green eyes blinked open. Oz glanced around, wincing slightly as Wesley injected the morphine.

"Where-" Oz started, his voice sounding raw.

"Shh. It's okay." Wesley insisted. Doyle stood up and moved out of the way, allowing Wesley to move into Oz's line of sight. "You're still inside the Initiative. Angel, Doyle, Buffy, and Willow are here with me. We came to help you, Spike, Xander, and Tara."

"Tara?" Oz asked, looking confused. A soft growl emitted on it's own accord from his chest. "Where?"

"They..." Wesley paused, unsure if it was wise to inform Oz of Tara's whereabouts. He glanced over at Angel and then Willow, who looked confused. Taking a deep breath, he turned back to Oz. "They captured her and Spike. We know where she's at, though. We're going to go get her."

"Promise." Oz said, looking up at Wesley, his eyes wide. "Find her."

"I promise." Wesley replied. "Oz..." Oz closed his eyes a moment, before blinking them back open. "Oz? Do you know where Xander is?"

"Xander..." Oz breathed, his mouth forming a thin line as a shot of pain went through him. "Pack... Level..."

"Which level, Oz?" Wesley reached out and cupped Oz's face, turning it until Oz was looking directly at him. "Which level?"

"Level D..." Oz replied, softly. "Cell... Three."

"Cell three?" Wesley repeated.

"No." Oz shook his head slightly, wincing. "Cell three hundred and... And..."

Wesley sighed as Oz's eyes rolled up into his head and the werewolf slipped into unconsciousness. Biting his lip, he looked up at Angel. "I think that's as close as we are going to get on Xander's location."

"I have you guys clearance." Willow informed them, handing back the I.D. card.

"Right." Angel paused a moment, before turning toward Buffy. "You and Willow stay here. Doyle, Wesley, and I are going after the others."

"Watch Oz." Wesley added, standing.

"Okay, but..." Buffy stood up and gave them a determined look. "You have thirty minutes. In thirty minutes, I'm ordering Willow to unlock all of the cells and start the computer's self-destruct. Demons are going to be swarming through this place like cheerleaders in a shoe sale."

"Alright." Angel replied, as Doyle glanced at his watch.

"Buffy..." Willow suddenly said, her voice sounding strange. She looked back at Buffy with wide eyes. "I found Riley."

"Where?" Buffy demanded, rushing to the computer.

"He's... He's dead, Buffy." Willow said, meekly.

"What?" Buffy gripped the back of an empty chair, her knuckles turning white. "How?"

"The report said he was shot by..." Willow paused, glancing at Oz's form. "He was shot by the woman that destroyed Level C. Tara... Tara killed him."

"But... Why?" Buffy asked, her lower lip wobbling in warning of tears to come.

"According to this he led her and Spike into a trap." Willow said, softly. 

"Oh, God." Buffy wiped at her face, taking a deep breath.

"You can mourn later." Angel informed her. "Now is not the time."

"I'll choose whatever damn time I please to mourn." Buffy snapped, giving Angel a dark look. "You have thirty minutes. Go!"

 

Spike felt himself losing hold on reality. The loss of blood, which now coated the inside of his coat and the floor, forced his body to demand sleep. Now was not a time to fall into a coma. Spike forced his eyes to remain open, locking them with Tara's tear-filled ones. He frowned. It looked as though she were in pain. Before Spike could contemplate on in, the hall's main door opened and a series of footsteps rushed toward them. 

"I must be hallucinating." Spike informed the shape of Angel and his small group.

"Get out here." Angel ordered, unlocking the glass wall. 

It slid open, allowing Spike to squeeze through. Spike immediately rushed over to Tara, pulling her against him and breathing in her scent. He nearly jerked back in anger as the smell of at least four other men attacked his nose. Spike growled, holding Tara tightly.

"I'm okay." Tara whispered, burying her face in his chest. "We've got to find the others, Spike. I can wait."

"We have a general idea where Xander is." Wesley informed them.

"Where?" Spike demanded, loosening his hold on Tara. They began making their way out of the hall, Tara limping alongside Spike.

"Level D." Wesley said. "Just one floor down. He's in the three hundreds, but..." Wesley glanced at Spike. "I'm hoping once we get to the right floor, you'll be able to find him."

Spike didn't reply. They quickly made their way to the elevator. Spike was shocked to see that they didn't encounter anyone along the way. He refused to think about what that might mean, hoping that it was just by pure luck that they made it to Level D without any interference. 

As they exited the elevator, they found themselves in a long hall with bright ceiling lights. In the top corner was a small, black camera. The light was off, indicating Willow had turned the camera's off. They turned the corner and then another. Doyle glanced down at his watch.

"We have less than ten minutes." He whispered.

"Why ten minutes?" Spike demanded. He could feel something tickling in the back of his mind. They were getting close to Xander.

"Buffy and Willow." Angel replied as they turned another corner. Spike stepped forward and took the lead, directing them through the twisting hallways of the Initiative. "They're going to destroy this place."

"While I'm pleased to see the two bints are finally going to get something done right, why can't they wait?" Spike asked.

"Because they are restless." Angel said, sounding rather bitter. "And Buffy wants to be the one calling the shots."

"Ah." Spike smirked. "She can't do that with the big ol' ex there, hovering over her shoulder?"

"Shut up, Spike." Angel said, tiredly.

"Whatever." Spike muttered, as they turned down on last hall. Spike stopped, closing his eyes briefly. A sense of fear and loneliness, with a hint of panic, washed over him . He followed the emotions until they brought him to a small cell.

In the corner of the cell was Xander, curled up in a ball and completely nude. Spike bit back a growl at the sight of the stitched up wounds down his body. He glanced over, watching as Angel swiped the I.D. card through the lock. The glass wall began to slide back, allowing Spike to step inside. "Xander?"

Xander looked up, his brown eyes glowing with a small ring of green. Xander tilted his head at Spike, frowning as he sniffed the air. Then, a harsh growl emitted from his throat as Xander tried to push himself even farther into the wall. Spike frowned and took a step toward him. Xander let out a warning, a sound that was a mixture of a hiss and a hiccup, as his lip curled upward to reveal a row of white teeth.

"Xander?" Spike asked once more, before his own frustration took over. Letting out a roar of anger, Spike felt all he could do was pace and rant. "Those bloody fucking bastards! When I get a hand on one of those.... Argh! Dead! All of them! I'll rip out their spleens and poke out their eyeballs. I'll-"

"Spike?" A hoarse, broken voice asked. Spike spun around to find Xander slowly standing up, completely ignoring the fact that he was naked. "Is that really you?"

"Yeah, pet. It's me." Spike whispered softly, stepping forward. 

Xander stared at him a moment longer, before rushing toward him and wrapping his arms around Spike's waist. Spike gently slid his arms around Xander, drawing the man practically into him, while avoiding any of his wounds. Xander's scent waved over him, completely pure and strong, but hinted with something strange. Unable to tell if it was an emotion or something wrong with Xander in general, Spike pushed it away and focused on his lover.

"Spike." Xander breathed, looking up at him. Spike smiled, before growling slightly when he caught sight of the stitches along Xander's head. "What? ...Oh. Those."

"What did they do to you, love?" Spike asked.

"I thought nothing, but..." Xander's eyes were filled with fear. "Spike, something's wrong."

"What? What is it?" Spike demanded, trying to get a hold of his anger.

"I can't smell you." Xander replied, his voice low, as though speaking normally would make what he said even more true.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't smell you!" Xander repeated. "I can't smell anything. I never noticed it before, because I tend to ignore the smells of other people anyway, so when I didn't scent the guards... Well... But, you? I know your scent, Spike. I can't smell it at all."

"Bloody hell." Spike whispered. He didn't know what else to say. The fact that Xander couldn't smell was... Spike blinked away his confusion. "We've got to get out of here, pet. We'll fix it later, yeah?"

Xander nodded and followed him out into the hall. When he spotted Tara, he dragged her into a tight hug. For one split second, Spike was thankful that his mate couldn't smell the men coating Tara's body. Angel watched them a moment, then coughed slightly and pulled off his coat. Turning his eyes away, he handed the coat to Xander.

"Thanks, Deadboy." Xander said, pulling the coat on. 

"We should be going." Wesley pointed out.

"What about Oz?" Tara asked.

"Buffy and I found him earlier." Wesley informed them. "He's in the main security room with them."

Tara nodded and followed them down the hall. Spike quickly pulled her closer to him, his other hand slipping around Xander's waist. He glanced down at Tara, noting how she still limped. Spike took an un-needed breath and pulled his pack mates closer. His own wounds had already healed, leaving the bullets within his back. He knew, later, they would have to go in and dig them out. But for now he was fine and able to care for the others.

They had just reached the elevator when a series of sounds echoed toward them. Hundreds of doors, sliding open. Spike twisted around, watching the long hallway. Doyle glanced at his watch, before sending Angel a terrified look. Wesley lifted his crossbow, his hand shaking slightly as the sound of footsteps filled their ears. Behind them, Tara was pushing the elevator's button fiercely.

"Oh, shit." Xander stated as the first demon turned the corner. Even at the distance, it looked huge. More followed in it's wake, faces filled with anger.


	14. Chapter 14

Xander felt alive, and yet a part of him was dead to the world. The inability to smell his allies and the demons swarming around him caused everything to mute. His hearing and eyesight were fine, but being possessed by a hyena had made his sense of smell his strongest weapon. Now, he was almost fighting in the dark. And yet, fighting along side Spike once more made him feel so alive.

They punched and kicked and fought in tune with one another, bringing demon after demon down. The pain rushing through Xander's body, caused by the enemy attacking him where his stitches threatened to rip back open, was merely a side effect. He barely noticed it, and what he did feel only caused him to fight harder. 

Demons from every walk of life. It was like a Hellmouth seminar in the middle of the Level D hallway. Cat demons, dog demons, lizard demons, someone that looked like he was half tomato. So many to choose from, so many to destroy. Xander felt as though he were in heaven. Finally, after two days of being picked on and prodded, he could fight back.

A charge of electricity flowed through the air, followed by the sound of thunder. Xander glanced back to see Tara standing by the elevator, hands raised as sparks shot from her fingertips. Her eyes glowed pure white and a wind whipped around her, causing her now white hair and torn skirt to dance about like the Goddess she nearly was. The lightning flowed past them, un-harming, and hit the demons face first. Five dropped dead, while a small group screamed in pain as the volts wracked their bodies.

Next to Spike, Wesley was shooting bolts from his crossbow faster than a Slayer was able to. Eyes narrowed in concentration, Wesley focused on hitting any creature that got past Spike, Xander, Angel, and Doyle. The moment a demon stepped close to Tara, they would drop down with a bolt sticking out of their forehead.

For a split second, Xander was thankful that a large number of demons dissolved or evaporated when killed. Otherwise, the hall would have been filling up with dead bodies.

"We need to get out of here!" Doyle announced, as his face shifted into demon form. He grabbed the shoulders of the nearest demon and head-butt him. The demon staggered back into Angel's sword.

"The elevator is moving too slowly." Spike grumbled, dropping down to kick the legs out of a large bird-like creature.

"The elevator is not moving at all." Tara replied, her voice tinkling. She turned around and pressed her hands against the elevator's doors. Electricity flowed from her fingers, causing sparks and making the metal doors shake.

Seconds later, the elevator door dinged, swinging open to reveal two shocked soldiers. Tara tilted her head and raised a hand. The two soldiers were grabbed by some invisible force and dragged out of the elevator. Xander watched, amazed, as they were thrown overhead and into the thicket of demons. 

"Time to go, love." Spike said, grabbing Xander's arm.

They all rushed toward the elevator as a group. Just as Xander found himself safely pressed against the back of the small space, a scream of pain echoed in their ears. Ahead of them, just as he was stepping into the elevator, Wesley crumbled to the ground. Angel grabbed the front of Wesley's shirt and jerked him inside. As the doors shut, Xander caught sight of a tall demon that looked like a human shaped lion holding his bleeding hand in pain.

"Wesley?" Tara asked, kneeling in front of him. Wesley let out a moan and blinked open his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Bloody hell, that hurt." Was Wesley's reply. He lifted his shirt, to reveal a long, thick claw protruding from his side. Yellow blood trickled from the end of it, where it had ripped from the demon's hand.

"Don't remove it." Doyle ordered, as Tara reached for it. "We don't know how deep it went."

"But it could be poisoning him." Spike pointed out.

"Leave it." Wesley said, through gritted teeth. "We'll worry about it when we get out of here. Bleeding will just slow me down."

"Wes..." Tara said softly. Wesley sent her a small smile, before forcing himself to stand. He held the arm of his wounded side close, using it to keep the claw from shifting.

They exited on the correct floor, staring in awe at the battle waging before them. They easily ran along one wall, Spike's hand tightly gripping Xander's arm in order to pull him along. Soldier's shot and died, while demons clawed their way through the group of men. Blood coated the floor, causing many of the fighters to slip on it's slick surface. 

They made it to the security room, throwing the door open and pulling the wounded inside. Spike immediately pushed Xander to the floor, hovering over him and checking his wounds. Behind them, Buffy was arguing with Angel over her order to release the demons.

"It was my choice, Angel." Buffy snapped.

"Yes, your choice!" Angel growled back, his eyes flaring yellow. "Your choice that nearly got all of us killed. Now Wesley is wounded, Tara's on the verge of being drained again, and why is this? Because you had to do things your way."

"This needed to be done." Buffy hissed.

"I agree, but you could have waited until we made it back here." Angel yelled. Doyle quickly rushed to his lover, pulling the irate vampire away from Buffy. Buffy glared at Angel, before sending Doyle a disgusted look.

"We need medical supplies." Willow announced. She was kneeling next to Wesley. Buffy paused, before snatching up the last of the gauze, bandages, and morphine. She walked over to help Willow patch Wesley up.

"This is ridiculous." Angel was muttering. "How in the hell are we suppose to get out of here? Did she even think of that?"

"Calm down, Deadboy." Xander hoarse voice ordered. Xander leaned against the wall, his eyes half closed. Spike huddled next to him, the vampire's nose pressed against Xander's neck and his arms wrapped gently around his mate's waist. "We won't get out of here arguing."

"He's right." Doyle said, softly. Angel scowled, but said nothing more.

"Hey, Tara. You okay?" Xander asked, turning toward their pack mate. Tara was kneeling next to Oz, a look of pure anger on her face. She had the sheet covering her passed out lover pulled back, revealing the bandages wrapped around his chest. Spots of blood had began to appear on the white gauze.

"I'm fine." Tara whispered, her angered face slowly melting into a tired expression. She looked up at Xander, her eyes watering.

"No, you're not." Spike spoke up, glancing over at her. Tara looked at him and shook her head. "Those bastards will pay, you know."

"What are you talking about?" Xander asked, frowning.

"Love." Spike took an un-needed breath. "Why do you think Tara is dressed like that? You know our little witch wouldn't show that much flesh."

"I just... I'm trying to not think right now, Spike." Xander admitted. "I feel like I'm blind. If I think... Then I'll have to admit to myself that you all feel like strangers at the moment. I can't smell you, anymore."

"We'll fix that." Spike insisted. "Besides, at the moment it's probably a good thing you can't smell Tara."

"Why?" Xander looked over at Tara again, watching as she slowly slid to the floor and curled up around Oz's sleeping form. Xander's eyes narrowed, before looking over at the others. Angel was scowling again, while Doyle was avoiding looking at him. Buffy and Willow looked confused, though Willow's confusion had a hint of concern in it. Wesley was wheezing, his face looking flush. Slowly, Xander looked back at Tara. "What did they do to her?"

"Don't." Tara whispered, her voice cracking. "Please, Spike. Don't."

"Got to, pet." Spike replied. "Got to get revenge, after all."

"No, Spike." Tara said, fighting back a sob. "Just let it go. I'm fine."

"I don't think you are." Spike said, sadly. Tara turned away, burying her face into Oz's neck.

"We need to get out of here." Wesley said, after a moment of silence filled the room. His face had turned a dark shade of red, his eyes dilated. "Before they figure out someone is in here."

"Alright." Buffy nodded, standing. "Let's get going."

Spike stood up and helped Xander to his feet. Angel walked over and lifted Oz into his hands. After making sure Angel had a good grip on him, Tara walked over and allowed Wesley to lean against her side. Spike sent Buffy a dark look. "You first, Slayer."

Buffy ignored him and dramatically kicked the door open. They stormed into the hallway like a group of bees heading for honey. Around them, cries of pain and anger rose. Gunshots echoed down the hallway. The group made it's way down the hall, toward the screams, with Buffy and Willow taking the lead while Spike and Xander watched the rear.

They entered a large room, with five exits. Computers lined most of the walls, half of them on fire. The floor was already littered with the bodies of both demons and soldiers. They moved quickly around the groups of fighting men and demons, going unnoticed for the most part. Buffy led them to a small, closed door. She carefully pried it open and ushered them inside.

"They're going to bloody well destroy each other." Spike commented with one last glance toward the large room.

"Let's hope so." Xander muttered.

"Hurry up." Buffy snapped from behind them, where she still holding the door open. The rest of the group rushed inside. Spike and Xander, now at the front, looked down the dark corridor, where only a few emergency lights were seen. "This will lead to the passage we took to get in he-"

Buffy's words were cut off by a series of gunshots that sounded far too close. Spike twisted around, dragging Xander even closer toward him. Willow let out a piercing scream that caused Spike to wince in pain. The door, which had been the main source of light, suddenly slid closed as something soft hit the floor with a thump. Spike's eyes quickly adjusted to the light. 

He saw that Xander's eyes were wide and filled with shock. Knowing that his mate was able to see in the darkness as well, Spike followed his line of sight. He spotted Angel, carrying a sleeping Oz in his hands. Angel's face was set stone, showing no emotion. Next to him, Doyle was holding Willow, who was struggling to get out of his grip. Tears streamed down her face as she finally gave up and fell to the ground, sobbing. Tara had her face pressed into Wesley's shoulder. Wesley, face still red from a fever, stared at the closed door, his mouth open in shock.

Spike's eyes, now drawn, finally rested on the door. A dark streak of blood ran vertically on the metal door. The blood dripped downward, until it connected with Buffy's blonde head. Buffy sat, almost peacefully, against the door. Blood pooled below her, coating her tight, cream colored flare jeans. Her eyes, normally a deep hazel, looked blank and glazed over. Concentrating, Spike could hear her heart beat slowing until it came to a sluggish stop.

"Oh, God." Xander whispered. "Buffy."

"We've got to get moving." Angel said, turning.

"What?" Willow screeched. "We can't just leave her here!" Angel didn't reply. Spike, watching as Angel's shoulder became impossibly stiff, knew the vampire was trying to not cry. Willow pushed her way out of Doyle's hold and crawled over to Buffy's body. "We've got to bring her with us."

"She's dead." Xander said, softly. His eyes closed briefly. "Willow, we've got to start moving. Do you want them to break that door down? Those demons can smell the blood of a Slayer."

"He's right." Wesley wheezed. 

"Shush." Tara ordered him. Wesley gave a weak nod and forced himself to breath easier.

"If we bring her with us it will be like leaving breadcrumbs." Xander finally said. Willow stared at him, resolve face wilting under her strung out emotions. "Willow... Please. We've got to start moving."

"I'll... I'll carry her." Willow insisted. "I'll use a spell. Please, guys! We can't just leave her down here to be... Be... To be eaten!"

"I'll carry her." Doyle offered. He gently pulled Willow away. Slipping his hands underneath Buffy's body, he lifted her up. Blood dripped from her soaked clothes and to the floor. Spike tilted his head in order to look at her back. It looked as though someone had gone at her with a machine gun. Doyle's hands slipped in the blood, but after a moment he was able to get a good hold. "Let's go."

They continued down the corridor, making barely a sound. Their soft footsteps and the sporadic drip of Buffy's blood hitting the floor were the only sounds echoing down the hall. Finally, they reached another small door. Spike quickly pried it open and they entered another corridor. This hallway had a series of emergency lights on the ceiling, enough to show a small staircase a few feet away. At the top of the staircase, they found another door.

"This should be it." Angel said, his voice soft.

Nodding, Spike turned the large lever protruding from the door and pushed his shoulder against it. The door gave way easily, opening up into a large clearing inside the Sunnydale Woods. Xander stepped into the open, staring at the trees as though he had never seen them before. He grabbed Spike, smiling slightly, and pulled him into a hard hug.

Behind them, Tara had let go of Wesley long enough to shut the door. She pressed her hand against the edge of the doorway, whispering under her breath. The metal seemed to melt, before molding with the cement around it. Blinking tiredly, Tara stumbled over to them, slipping an arm around Wesley's waist to help steady him. "That should keep anyone from following us."

"Good idea, pet, but we've got another problem." Spike said, reaching out to grab Xander's hand. He thread his fingers through Xander's, finding comfort from the contact.

"What could go wrong now?" Willow asked, sniffling.

"The sun's coming up." Spike replied staring toward the east. A bright glow was rising between the trees, drawing closer to where they were standing.


	15. Chapter 15

Xander felt something inside fight to get free. He knew it was his emotions, for at the moment he had control over them. He refused to cry over Buffy's death. It wasn't that he was glad, that was as far from the truth as a person could get. Xander just couldn't bring himself to deal with the effects of one of his best friends dying, especially after escaping the Initiative.

Xander took a deep breath, once again caught off guard by the lack of scent accompanied by the action. He leaned against the cool wall, glancing up as Spike walked over. Spike plopped down next him, body immediately leaning toward him. With a smile that was far from real, Xander slipped his hand into Spike's. "Does it ever seem odd how these abandoned houses just magically appear when we need one?"

"Just lucky, I suppose." Spike replied with a shrug. There was a pause. "Willow wants to go let the Watcher know about Buffy."

"I should go with her." Xander said, almost nervously. A small part of him, the part that had surrounded itself with pack and not his former makeshift family, didn't feel it was his right. To tell the only man to truly be like a father that his surrogate daughter had been killed. Murdered, but not by a demon like all the other Slayers. Murdered by a human, with a gun.

"I wish you wouldn't." Spike said, honestly. Spike didn't look at Xander. Instead he focused on Tara, who was once again curled up around Oz. The others were equally distributed around the small building. Spike ignored them and listened to Tara's soft cries.

"Are you planning on telling me what happened?" Xander asked.

"It's her choice." Spike said, after a pause. "I can't make her tell you. Just like I can't make you tell me what happened down there."

"Can we wait to have this conversation?" Xander rubbed his face tiredly. "I don't... I don't know what to feel right now, Spike." Xander forced himself to his feet, wincing as his stitches pulled. He glanced across the room, were Willow was cradling a dead Buffy's head in her lap. Xander bit his lip, his hand bunching into fists.

"Pet?" Spike asked softly, standing as well. He reached out to touch Xander's shoulder, but was immediately brushed off. Xander turned toward him, pushing him away gently. Spike back connected with the wall, causing him to cringe as he felt the bullets still buried in in back shift. 

"What's wrong?" Xander suddenly asked.

"I got shot, is all." Spike replied. "We'll take care of it when we get out of here."

"I'm sorry." Xander whispered. He turned back around, eyes landing once again on Buffy's body. A choked sob fought its way past his throat. 

Across the room, Willow looked over with tear stained eyes. She watched as Xander turned on his heel and stormed out of the small building, hand covering his face. Her chin wobbled slightly as her eyes threatened to tear up again once more. She looked down at Buffy, whose eyes were still open. Gently, Willow lifted Buffy's head off her lap and set it on the floor. She sent Spike a steady look. Spike frowned slightly, but nodded. Standing, she followed Xander outside.

"Xan?" Willow asked, her voice timid.

"This is all my fault." Xander's voice cracked. Willow walked around the building until she found Xander curled up against a corner. His hands dangled from where they rested at his knees. The knuckles looked bloody, telling Willow that he had most likely punched the wall.

"It's not your fault, Xander." Willow said, softly. She sat down next to him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

"I feel like it is. I just don't understand how this happened." Xander replied, wiping at his eyes. He leaned his head back, letting it hit the wall behind him. A soft sigh escaped him. "We have to tell Giles."

"I know." Willow agreed.

"We should get it over with." Xander muttered, before laughing bitterly. "Listen to me. Get it over with? I act as though it's a simple task. Oh, God..." Xander's breath caught in his throat and Willow found her self fighting back tears as Xander spoke next. "Buffy's dead."

"She is." Willow whispered.

"How can she die? She's not suppose to die." Xander insisted. "We're all suppose to grow old together. You're suppose to become some sort of computer genius, making loads of money. Buffy will be the oldest Slayer ever, at the age of 85, still kicking vampire ass. I'm..."

"You're what, Xander?" Willow asked, her voice hitching.

"I'm suppose to be the one there, to lend a helping hand and protect my girls." Xander finally said. Willow's arms tightening around him and Xander once again found himself breaking into tears.

 

Xander folded the small piece of paper in his hands, before unfolding it and glancing at the words written upon it. Knowing how emotionally straining this job would be, Doyle had made certain to write down all of the medical supplies they needed for the day. Once night fell, they would get back to L.A., while Willow stayed with Giles. Hopefully, the Initiative would be in enough discord that they would not be followed.

Xander folded the piece of paper once more and glanced at Willow. Her skin looked pale, far too pale. Gulping, she glanced over at him before lightly knocking on Giles' door. It seemed absurd, knocking on his door. But the comedy that came with barging in on any other day was inappropriete.

Xander ripped the paper's edge nervously, before stuffing it into his pants so he didn't destroy it further. He glanced up as the door opened, revealing a frazzled looking Giles. It seemed that he hadn't slept at all that night. Behind his wire-rimmed glasses, a set of green eyes widened. Xander suddenly found himself being yanked forward into a hard hug. 

"Can't breathe." Xander said in a strangled voice.

"Oh, thank heaven." Giles said, dragging the two of them inside. "I thought something had happened. I was--" Giles cut himself off as the door closed behind Willow. Giles' eyes darted between the two, before a small frown played at his mouth. "Where's Buffy?"

"She..." Willow trailed off.

"We're sorry, Giles." Xander managed to say. "She... It shouldn't have happened."

"What?" Giles demanded. "What happened?"

"Buffy's dead." Willow whispered.

Giles' mouth opened in preparation to speak, but nothing came out. Instead, the older man shook his head and walked over to the sofa. Xander cringed as Giles dropped into it's soft seating. The man looked lost, as though he didn't know how to react. Xander understood completely, for his mind was still reeling with confusion.

Mutely, Xander walked over and sat down next to Giles. He didn't glance over or acknowledge Xander's presence, but Xander felt better being next to him all the same. The part of him that he would always associate with the hyena urged him to return to his mate, to make sure that Spike was safe and to remove the foreign metal that resided in the vampire's back. Xander felt momentarily furious with the vampire. Spike should have told him he was injured from the beginning!

With a deep breath, Xander forced himself to calm down. Now wasn't a time to get angry, especially when his lack of scent left him vulnerable to any sort of attack. He briefly wondered what had happened to Tara, knowing that his inability to smell was the reason he had yet to figure that mystery out. While the witch was dressed oddly, Xander wasn't sure what to make of it. After all, that could have been due to some sort of struggle.

"Where's the body?" Giles' sad voice asked, catching Xander off guard. Giles sounded far too calm, a discreet sign that he would most likely wait until he was alone to have his emotional breakdown.

"We had to take refuge in this old shack." Willow informed him, her voice breaking. "She's there."

"Very well." Giles nodded. "Take me to her."

"Umm, Giles." Xander said, standing and digging the paper out of his pocket. "We also need some supplies. Oz and Wesley are injured... And the other's aren't looking too good."

"Indeed." Giles stood, taking the list from Xander's hand. "I'll just... I'll be a moment. I need to call Joyce."

Xander felt his stomach sink to the floor at those words. Joyce. Why hadn't they thought of her yet? The woman's daughter was now dead. Xander closed his eyes and fought himself to control his breathing. He reopened them, watching as Giles left the room. He glanced at Willow.

"I should get going." He said the moment he caught sight of the tears cascading down her cheek.

"What?" Willow asked, shocked. "Xander-"

"I can't, Willow." Xander interrupted, his voice on the verge of begging. "Please."

"...Okay, Xander." Willow said, softly.

Xander felt as though he couldn't get out of there fast enough. He literally flew out of the apartment, his feet hitting the asphalt of the road within seconds. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, Xander glanced around him. The street was deserted, which was actually pretty normal for Giles' neighborhood.

Xander shifted on his feet, before turning toward the direction of his own apartment. He was still naked underneath Angel's coat, after all. The indecency of it hadn't actually hit him until he was standing there, in full public view.

He quickly made his way toward the apartment. He ignored the landlady's son, Reginald, in the front hall, who was sneering at him as usual. As Xander waited for the elevator, he heard the sounds of Nine Inch Nail's Closer coming from Mrs. Galloway's office. Shaking his head at the strange woman, Xander stepped onto the elevator.

Once upstairs, he grabbed a suitcase and began piling Spike and his clothes inside, along with anything else that may be needed. He grabbed a couple of weapons and stuffed them into the overflowing bag, before zipping it closed. He dragged it into the living room, wincing as it tugged at his stitches. With a sigh, Xander glanced down at himself. No time for a shower, but he should at least get dressed. 

After pulling on a pair of khakis and a loose t-shirt, he went to the hall closet and grabbed the two bags Tara and Oz had left there when they had decided to move in. Once this was all collected, Xander went to the kitchen and packed a bit of food, knowing the others would probably be hungry. He glanced at the clock and figured that Giles was probably on his way to the shack by now. 

It took a lot of work, but he finally managed to get a descent hold on all of the bags and make his way to the elevator. He exited the elevator to find Reginald dancing to the music in his head. When the man caught sight of him, he stiffened and directed a dark look in his direction. Xander ignored him, wincing once more as his stitches pulled. He knew he would be able to make it to the shed without ripping them, though he would be worn out. Sending one last glance at a scowling Reginald, Xander stepped out onto the street and began walking.

 

Tara glanced up from her position on the floor, were she was keeping a steady eye on Oz's status. She accepted the bundle of clothing Xander handed her with a slight smile. Casting Oz one last look, she walked into the tiny room adjacent to change. As she removed her skirt, she had to force her eyes away from the bruise that lined her hip, in the shape of a large hand. 

Eyes clenched, so she would not have to see her body, Tara quickly changed. She could hear the soft murmurs in the other room. Giles had arrived some time ago and the night was beginning to fall. Buffy was wrapped in a soft blue sheet and would be taken to the city morgue. Wesley was looking worse. In fact, Oz, despite being unconscious and missing a good part of his skin, looked better than Wesley. Wesley's eyes seemed to be glazed over, his skin turning a soft yellow. He was coated in sweat. His breaths came in soft, short gasps. 

Tara buttoned up her shirt and quickly made it back into the room. She checked on Wesley, who looked to be sleeping for once, before returning to Oz's side. She didn't look up until a pair of feet stepped up next to her. Glancing up, Tara blushed slightly at the sight of Willow. While she was comfortable in the fact that Willow and her were over, being near the redhead was slightly unnerving.

"Hey, Tara." Willow said softly, gently sitting down next to her. 

"Hi." Tara greeted. She stared at Oz's hand, refusing to look at Willow. Slowly, she slipped her hand into Oz's, feeling something burn between the simple connection.

"Tara, I-" Willow cut herself off, before beginning again. "How are you?"

"As well as could be expected." Tara replied.

"Tara... What happened down there?" Willow asked after a moment of silence. Tara looked up at her, their eyes connecting. "I've never seen you use magic like that before. I thought... I thought you didn't like to use it that much."

"It's different, Willow." Tara said, her voice a near whisper. "Some magic must be used, if it's to protect someone important to you. The magic that you use, just for the sake of using it? That's what is wrong. I used my magic, from my own energy sources and not from any other, to help save Oz and Xander."

"What's going on with Oz?" Willow's voice was breaking, as though she didn't want to hear the truth.

"I can't explain it, Willow." Tara informed her. "But... He's my mate."

"Mate?" Willow demanded, eyes widening. "You're not an animal, Tara!"

"I don't know what I am." Tara snapped, before her eyes turned back to Oz. "Something inside of me feels the connection. I feel the energy of the pack. I can feel Spike and Xander in that corner, talking. I can feel Oz's breathing and his heart beating. Something... Something isn't normal here, I realize that. But that, Willow, is for me to figure out."

"Fine." Willow took a deep breath. "I've got to go. We've got to get Buffy to the morgue and I should go check on Ms. Summers."

"Willow." Tara called, before Willow could walk away. "I still love you. A part of me always will, but... We aren't meant to be."

"I'm starting to realize that." Willow whispered sadly, before joining Giles. 

"We'll be in touch." Xander told them, before they left the building, Buffy's corpse cradled in Giles' arms. Xander carefully shut the door and made his way to Spike's side. They sat down, arms wrapped around each other.

Tara sent them a slight smile, before curling up on her side. One arm gently wrapped around Oz's waist and her head pressed against his shoulder. She breathed deeply, taking in Oz's scent. It smelled of his blood, which was dried and caked into the bandages. But it also smelled like the moon, or a scent that Tara related to the moon. It was clear and crisp, with a slight hint of the woods. Sighing, Tara closed her eyes as they waited for the sun to go down.


	16. Chapter 16

Xander slowly stepped out of Spike's Desoto, shutting the door firmly behind him. He looked up at the towering building that was the Hyperion, briefly wondering if it wasn't some status symbol for Angel, much like a large truck for a man. 

Shaking the thought out of his head, he quickly walking around the car to help Tara out of the backseat. Spike gently pulled out Oz, the werewolf mumbling something under his breath. Giles had given the werewolf a high dose of morphine earlier that afternoon, before he left. It seemed to have a lasting effect, thank goodness. While Oz woke up every once in a while, he seemed incapable of recognizing anything and soon fell back to sleep.

They entered the Hyperion quickly, Doyle and Angel struggling to keep Wesley on his feet. The Ex-Watcher was looking worse by the moment, his face nearly glowing a sickly yellow. Xander helped Spike settle Oz onto one of the sofas, before slumping down next to Spike on the other sofa. Tara sat down on the floor, her head leaning back against Oz's stretched out arm. He watched with half-lidded eyes as Cordelia stormed out of the office.

"A note!" She screeched, causing Xander and Spike to wince. "You didn't even leave me a note!"

"I told you she would be angry." Doyle muttered, while Angel cringed at the look on Cordelia's face. Indeed, after suffering through the horror of the Initiative, Xander suspected Angel would rather be back in the government base instead of with his secretary. A look flashed across Cordelia's eyes when she spotted Wesley. Her jaw dropped, before her eyes traveled over to Xander and Spike.

"Alright, tell me what happened." Cordelia ordered.

"Is Gunn still here?" Angel asked in a tired voice.

"He's taking care of a few vampires that thought they were tough shit." Cordelia said. Xander blinked in shock. He'd never heard Cordelia curse before.

"Hey, princess, do you think you could call in some food?" Doyle asked, smiling slightly. "Most of us haven't ate all day. We'll wait until Gunn arrives before we explain everything."

"Okay." Cordelia replied slowly, eyeing Wesley as they sat him down. "Should I call a doctor?"

"We'll need someone that wont ask questions." Spike piped up.

"No problem." Cordelia rolled her eyes. "We've got a guy... He's eccentric as hell, but he'll do."

"Oh, not him." Angel literally whined.

"Hey, he's an okay doc." Doyle defended. Cordelia snorted and made her way into the office to call for take-out. "He's fixed Wesley up loads of times."

"Please tell me you are not talking about that hick with the weird eyes." A deep voice asked from the doorway. A large black man walked in, placing his axe on the counter top. He full mouth twisted into a slight smile before a pair of deep chocolate eyes landed on Wesley's sleeping form. He rushed over to Wesley's side, taking the clammy hand into his own. "What the hell happened, man?"

As Angel and Doyle sat down, Xander opted to explain. Gunn, or at least Xander assumed that's who it was, remained staring at Wesley's face the entire time. Xander finally fell silent. Cordelia, who had finished calling both the doctor and the food, had a shocked look on her face.

"Buffy's dead?" She asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah." Xander whispered. Cordelia's eyes dropped to the floor.

"I'm sorry." She replied. A silence filled the room, only to be broken by the doorbell ringing. Cordelia jerked in surprise and discreetly wiped her eyes. Now in control, she walked over and opened the door. She quickly paid for their meal and brought over the bags of Chinese food.

"Oh, I smell sweet an' sour, I do!" A voice announced from the doorway. Xander looked over, only to have his jaw drop. A short little man with overalls and no shirt stood in the door way. Next to him was a taller young man in a wife beater and jeans, a black doctor's bag in his hand. Xander prayed that these two weren't the doctors.

"Shut up, Billy Bob, and get your ass over here." Gunn ordered, before going back to staring at Wesley's face. 

"Alrighty." Billy Bob said in a deep Southern accent that reminded Xander of the Beverly Hillbillies. He bounced over to the sofa and cringed at the sight of Wesley. He glanced over at Oz and Tara, before nodding. "Billy Joe, you get started on that youngun', you hear?"

"Yes, pa." The younger man replied, his voice as deep and drawling as his father's. Tara stood and moved out of his way as he knelt in front of Oz. He gently pulled off Oz's bandages, eyes narrowed in concentration.

"What wrong with him?" Gunn demanded.

"Looks like he needs stitches. Got a bit of poison running through them veins, if his complexion is anythin' to go by." Billy Bob pulled out a suture set and some salve and started cleaning Wesley's wound. Wesley moaned slightly in his sleep.

"Pa." Billy Joe, who had been inspecting Oz, turned toward his father. "He ain't got no more skin!"

"Well, then. Looks like you'll have to help it grow back, eh?" Billy Bob raised an eyebrow. Billy Joe scowled. "Now, Billy Joe, if you're gonna run the family business, you need to learn these things."

"I ain't got no magic, pa!" Billy Joe protested. 

"Umm..." Tara raised her hand nervously. "I can help."

"We'll need some supplies." Billy Bob stated a moment later, when he was finished with Wesley's wound. "This boy here is all fixed up, except I think he's got himself a virus or somethin'. Can't be too sure. I ain't no soul reader, after all." With a sigh, Billy Bob turned to Doyle. "Think you can go out and get some stuff for the girlie witch?"

"Yeah." Doyle replied. Billy Bob quickly wrote down a list of items and handed them to Doyle. Then, as Doyle grabbed his coat and left, he turned toward Tara and eyed her.

"You don't look so good, girlie." Billy Bob said, his strange, electric blue eyes trailing down her body. They paused just below her waistline, before snapping back to meet her flushed face. "I don't normally ask questions, but... Do you need anything for...?"

"For what?" Xander asked, frowning. He glanced at Spike and found the vampire gripping one of the sofa's pillows tightly, nearly shredding it.

"It's already taken care of." Tara informed him, her eyes serious.

"Ah." Billy Bob nodded. Then he turned to Xander. "You smell of blood, kid."

"Oh, yeah." Xander stood up and lifted his shirt, revealing a large stitched up wound. "I think it could used being patched up again. I don't exactly trust the guys that did this."

"Right. Anything else?" Billy Bob asked as Billy Joe started helping Xander with his wounds.

"We need an x-ray for Xander." Spike informed him, standing.

"And for you." Xander added, grimacing as Billy Joe started clipping his stitches. Billy Joe swiftly finished and grabbed the suture kit to begin re-stitching them. "We need to get those bullets out before they're stuck."

"Bullets!" Billy Bob exclaimed, shocked. Then, as though vampires being shot was an everyday occurrence, Billy Bob bounced over to the telephone. "Just gotta call my cousin, Bobby Lee. He's part Locutz demon. Got x-ray vision, he does!"

It was some time before Billy Bob's cousin arrived. By that time, Doyle had returned and Tara was in the kitchens, mixing various materials and grinding them down to a paste. Xander was half-asleep, curled up against Spike. Gunn and Angel were in the library, looking up any clue on what had attacked Wesley.

Bobby Lee turned out to look just like Billy Bob, except for his pitch black eyes. He was a no nonsense type of person, which was evident for his immediate attention toward his job. He pulled Spike off the sofa and sat him down on a stool, shirt-less. Without a word, he pulled out a black marker and began making small X's on Spike's back. 

"Twelve." Xander stated, eyes wide. "You had twelve bullets in you all this time?"

"Around there." Spike replied, glancing over his shoulder as Bobby Lee recapped his marker. He turned back to Xander, to find his mate staring at him with angry eyes. "Love, it's okay-"

"No, it's not okay!" Xander snapped. "What they did to you and Oz and me and... I haven't figured out what happened to Tara, but, dammit, I will!"

"Xander, calm down." Spike ordered, his voice low and comforting. Xander took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"They ain't in deep." Bobby Lee stated, his Southern accent slow and deep. He turned to Billy Bob. "Scalpel and a pair of tweezers should do it, I think."

Bobby Lee moved out of the way as Billy Bob walked over. He watched his cousin slip on a pair of surgical gloves, before his eyes turned to Xander. They narrowed, a slight frown forming on his face. Xander shifted in his seat, eyes darting between Spike's scowling face and Bobby Lee. 

"What?" Xander finally asked, agitated.

"Boy, this may sound strange, but you've got a piece of your brain missin'." Bobby Lee informed him. Xander stared at him in shock, mouth open.

"I... I... Huh?" Xander gulped.

"Said what I said." Bobby Lee stated. "Looks like it's the part that recognizes smells. Don't ask me what it's called, I ain't no brain surgeon."

"If it's missing then there isn't much we can do about it, anyway." Billy Joe commented as Tara entered the front lobby. She carefully handed him a large bowl with what looked like bright yellow goop inside. Billy Joe immediately took it over to Oz and began applying it on his wounds.

"What's missing?" Tara asked.

"Those bastards." Spike hissed, barely wincing as Billy Bob extracted a small bullet from his back. It hit the metal tray next to the doctor with a loud clank. "They cut out a part of his brain."

"Calm yourself down, boy." Billy Bob ordered. Spike made a noise in the back of his throat, which sounded almost like a low screech of anger. The vampire's blue eyes was lined with gold as he stared up at Xander. 

"This is insane." Xander stated with a strange calm. Another bullet clanked as it hit the metal tray, causing Xander to jerk in surprise. Xander blinked, staring down at the blood coated pair of tweezers in Billy Bob's hand. "I... I need to go lay down."

"Xander?" Tara asked, reaching for his arm. Xander merely shook his head before heading upstairs. Tara watched him go, before turning back to Spike. "Spike...?"

"I'll kill them." Spike was saying, hardly acknowledging those around him. "I'll hunt each and every one of those bastards down and rip out their spines. And then I'll find those bloody ponces that dared to lay their hands on Tara and show them just how painful rape can be."

Tara winced visibly at Spike's words, before taking a deep breath and walking out of the room. She made her way to the library, not surprised to find Gunn and Angel there, looking up Wesley's symptoms. Drawing in a shaky breath, she quickly skimmed the titles of the many books.

"Tara?" The blonde witch jerked in surprise and looked up to find Gunn looking at her carefully. "It is Tara, right?"

"Y-y-yes." She replied, cringing at the stutter. She hadn't stuttered since being drawn into Xander's pack, it was strange to hear herself do it once more.

"How are things out there?" Gunn asked, watching as she pulled a few books off the shelf.

"Wesley is sleeping." She assured him, noting the look of relief on Gunn's face. "They're removing the bullets from Spike's back right now and Xander... Xander's laying down."

"What about the other one..?" Gunn asked. "Your..."

"Mate." Tara finished for him as she sat down. "He's sleeping as well. The balm should start rejuvenating his skin within the hour."

"That's good." Gunn offered. Tara nodded, opening one of the books to a random page. Gunn continued to watch her, a strange expression on his face. Neither one looked up as Doyle entered the library, carrying a steaming cup of blood for his lover. Angel, who had remained out of the conversation, finally came over and sat down near them.

"Spike's in a full rant at the moment." Doyle informed them. "Apparently they've found out what happened to Xander."

"What was it? A chip?" Angel asked. Doyle shook his head slightly and opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Tara.

"They removed his olfactory bulb and nerve." Tara stated, her voice deceptively calm. "Without that, there is no connection between the scent receptors in the nose to the parts of his brain that will recognize smell."

"Damn." Gunn muttered. He glanced up at Tara, a little amazed. "How do you know that, exactly?"

"I took Psychology 101 in college." Tara whispered, her hands twitching slightly on the tabletop. "It's okay, though. I can fix it. I can create a p-potion to rejuvenate him... I just need to find the correct ingredients."

"Tara." Angel said, his dark eyes watching the witch. "Perhaps you should get some rest first?"

"No!" Tara snapped, shocking Angel and Doyle with the harshness in her voice. Gunn glanced at their faces and knew from their expressions alone that she hardly ever yelled. "I can do this. It's the one thing I can do for them. I can make Xander whole again, and I will!"

"Okay." Doyle said, hastily. "It's just... You've been through a lot, yeah? You've been concentrating on helping everyone else, but you haven't took the time to help yourself or what... Well, what happened..."

"It's taken care of." Tara muttered. She raised her eyes, which looked bloodshot from grief. "I used a spell... Nothing will come from what they did to me."

"Good, good." Angel said, softly. "But that's not what we meant, Tara. You don't seem to be acknowledging what happened to you. You're safe here, you don't have to be strong right now."

"I'm fine!" Tara snapped, her hands curling into fists. Her breathing suddenly turned heavy, as though she had something closing around her throat and cutting off her air supply. Gunn sent the others a wide eyed look, before reaching over to touch her shoulder. He quickly jerked his hand back when, upon contact, a large jolt of electricity shot through his arm. 

"Tara." Doyle called to her, his voice rising when it appeared that Tara could not hear him. "Tara, you've got to calm down. Tara!"

"W-what?" Tara blinked, her breathing slowly to it's normal pace. She glanced, with huge eyes, at Gunn, who was holding onto his now injured hand. Her breath caught in her throat as a single tear trickled down her cheek.

"Are you okay?" Gunn asked, looking worried. "What... What happened?"

"That's what I'd like to know." A voice said from the doorway. Xander stood there, looking tired and older than his years. "I could feel you panicking from down the hallway."

"Tara, I think..." Angel said gently, glancing between Tara and Xander. "I think you should tell him, before his smell is restored. You're... Well, you're still coated in their scents."

Tara nodded, standing on shaky legs. She slowly made her way across the room, sending it's occupants an apologetic look. Gently taking hold of Xander's elbow, she guided him out of room and down the hallway. She automatically found herself going toward the room that had been given to Spike the last time they were there. As she entered, she could tell that it was the room that Xander had escaped to himself.

She wasn't shock by this connection. Even without his sense of smell, Xander was oddly tuned into his pack. Sighing, Tara carefully made him sit down. She curled up on the bed, pulling Xander with her until she could rest her head against his shoulder. Comfort and safety washed over her from his contact and she was once again caught off guard by the fact that she seemed to fit into this life so well. 

"I'm not an animal." Tara said out loud, her voice soft and barely above a whisper. She knew that Xander could hear her, nonetheless. "And yet I can feel Spike and you as though I am filled with some primal beast as well. I... I can't explain it, but I can feel Oz's wolf. I can feel something inside me bending toward him, taking him as my own. But like I said... I am not an animal."

"But you're the closest thing to Mother Earth I have ever met." Xander replied, his voice gentle as well. Tara closed her eyes as he continued. "It's your magic, I think. It's not the same as Willow's. You don't just borrow the energy around you, you live it. You're connected to everything. Even I can feel it. Spike and I have told you, and I'll always say it, you're a goddess."

"I am not." Tara informed him. "I'm not otherworldly, Xander. I'm just a normal girl, who can be hurt and... And broken just as anyone else."

"I refuse to believe that." Xander insisted. "Hurt, yes. Nothing can escape pain, but you can't be broken. You're too strong."

"I almost am, though." Tara whispered. She reopened her eyes and fixed them on some unimportant point on the wall across the room. "I could so easily let them win. I can feel it, trying to take over me. Angel's right. I've been ignoring what happened to me. I paid attention, once we escaped, long enough to cast a spell that wouldn't permit them to... But, after that I've ignored it."

"Tell me, Tara." Xander said, his voice nearly begging. "I can't stand not knowing. I feel like I'm in a closed off room. I can touch you, as well as Spike and Oz, but you're not really there. I don't know what happened to you."

Tara was silent for a few minutes, almost to the point were Xander thought she was going to refuse. Then, with a heavy sigh, she spoke. "Very well."


	17. Chapter 17

Tara was quiet for a long time, her hands twisting in her lap. Xander's body was tense, pressed against her side. Almost as though he was afraid of what she would say. She had to admit to herself that she was afraid as well. Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke.

"Riley had led us into a trap." She informed him. "With no place to go, our only option was to move forward. I... I had taken Riley's gun previously and placed it in my belt. What I did next was wrong, I know this. But, I barely had control of my actions at that point. Something, from inside me, had taken over. I was running on pure instinct and therefore I was prepared to do anything to keep Spike and I alive. I pulled out the gun and shot Riley in the head."

"Oh my God." Xander whispered, his voice filled with shock. Tara gave him a shaky smile.

"Yes, it's quite the shock." Tara drew in a deep breath. "I want to feel sorry for killing him, as well as what happened next. But... Perhaps I'm a horrible person, I don't know... All I know is that I don't regret it."

"It's okay." Xander said, his voice uncertain. Tara knew that he couldn't think of anything else to say. In order to save him the grief, she continued.

"I pulled on every magical reserve I had, tapping into energy that I didn't know existed." Tara gave a weak chuckle. "It was a bit of a thrill. I could feel everything in the room. The electricity in the computers, the anger within the soldiers, and Spike's never ending pain from not being near you. I sent a charge of energy toward the security panels, literally blasting them into nothing. Spike fought as hard as he could. I was so thankful at that moment that I had deactivated the chip before we had gone inside. You should have seen him, Xander. He fought like a blazing fire."

"It is a nice sight, isn't it?" Xander replied, softly.

"It is." Tara agreed. "...More soldiers arrived and I used the last of my strength to fight them off. Spike was shot down and I was growing weak. I managed to contact Wesley via a temporary link before crumbling. I was shocked by a tazor, rendering me unconscious. Then..." Tara's voice caught in her throat. "When I awoke next I was in a cell. I could sense Spike across the hall from me. But, at that time, I couldn't take the time to find out where we were or how many injuries we have sustained."

"What happened?" Xander asked, literally bracing himself for the answer.

"I didn't know it could be that painful." Tara whispered, closing her eyes tightly. As she spoke, she could almost feel the event happening once again. "Willow and I... We never really did anything like that, so..." Xander's arm tightened around her shoulders. Instead of making her feel confined, his embrace seemed to comfort her. "There were four of them. I fought them, but I couldn't use any magic. I was too weak... They held me down and... They didn't need to rip my skirt or destroy my shirt, but they did anyway. It's funny... But I'm almost more upset about that than anything else."

"That's why you had the bruise on your ankle and hip." Xander said, though it seemed more to himself than Tara. "That's why everyone looked so happy that I couldn’t smell you... Isn't it? If I had my sense of smell back I would be able to... I would be able to smell them on you, wouldn't I?"

"Yes." Tara replied. Her eyes burned, as though she wanted to cry but couldn't. She let out a dry sob, the sound wrenching from her throat painfully. Xander pulled her toward him, wrapping both arms around her and resting his cheek against her head. She buried her face into his chest, feeling comfort and safety wash over her. 

"I promise you, Tara." Xander growled fiercely. "I will not let them get away with this."

"I don't..." Tara pulled back in order to look up at Xander. His eyes held an expression of such hatred she nearly flinched away, but caught herself just in time. "I don't want anymore bloodshed, Xander. Please."

"I can't, Tara. I can't let this go unpunished." Xander informed her, his eyes nearly glowing a ring of green. Tara didn't say anything, before giving a small nod.

"But..." She gulped. "I think that they were ordered-"

"What?" Xander exclaimed.

"It's just... Something the leader was saying as they left." Tara said, her voice low. "They were talking about some... Professor. I can't exactly remember her name, but... I got the impression that she had ordered them to do it."

"That's not an excuse, Tara." Xander said softly.

"I know, but..." Tara closed her eyes again briefly. "I'm just trying to understand."

"I know." Xander took a deep breath. "I should... Well, get back downstairs and see if Spike is okay. Will you be alright?"

"Yeah." Tara nodded. "I need to take a shower, anyway."

Xander nodded, before crawling off the bed. His back was ram-rod stiff as he walked out of the room, shutting the door gently behind him. He paused in the hallway, taking another deep breath. He managed to calm himself down enough to head back downstairs, toward the lobby. It appeared that the doctors were already gone. Wesley had been moved, though where Xander didn't know. Oz remained on the sofa, now in a light sleep. Xander glanced briefly at his wounds, which appeared to be nearly healed.

Sighing, Xander walked over to the love seat that Spike was sitting on. The vampire hadn't bothered to put his shirt back on. As Xander approached, Spike looked up and met his eyes. Spike's mouth formed a thin line when he noted the expression on Xander's face. Xander shook his head slightly, indicating that he didn't want to talk about it just yet. Then, feeling far too tired, he sat down next to his mate.

"Where's Tara?" Spike asked after a moment of uneasy silence.

"Taking a shower." Xander replied. Xander crossed his arms, feeling the pain shoot through his re-stitched wounds without acknowledging it. "She told me."

"I gathered as much." Spike said. Spike glanced over at him and reached over to take Xander's hand in his own. "Why aren't you screaming or making a fuss?"

"I don't want to wake Oz or make Tara worry." Xander replied. "Why aren't you?"

"I'm still trying to wrap my mind around everything that's happened thus far, love." Spike admitted. "Everything... It's almost too much, you know? The Slayer is dead, my chip no longer works, you can't smell, the pup was skinned alive and is now re-growing that skin, and Tara... Rape was never something I was fond of, as a vampire. I never understood it and I still can't."

"But you want to get them back." Xander said.

"More than anything." Spike agreed.

"She thinks they were ordered by some professor." Xander informed him. "Can you recall any other scent in the hall?"

"It's hard to say." Spike replied. "I was so focused-"

"Try." Xander ordered, growling slightly. "Those soldiers could have already been scattered across America by now, depending on how fast they got out of the Initiative or if they got out at all. But her? It'll probably take her a bit longer. We can at least get her."

"Are you sure she's an actual she?" Spike asked.

"No, but try anyway." They were quiet for a long time, as Spike fought for his mind to cooperate. Xander's leg began to bounce, his emotions growing stronger with each second. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to maintain the calm that had veiled his mind much longer.

"Lilies." Spike suddenly said. "There was a faint trace of lilies. I didn't really pay much attention to it. In fact, I associated it with Tara's scent, but that's wrong. Tara's is of-"

"Lavender." Xander finished. Spike nodded. "I know who it was."

"Who? How?" Spike demanded as Xander stood up. 

"The woman who did most of the experiments on me." Xander said. "Her name was Professor Walsh."

"Wait." Spike stood as well, following Xander out of the Hyperion and into a small garden that resided in the back. It was still night out side, the moon high in the sky and growing smaller with each passing night. "Walsh. That name sounds familiar."

"All the time you spent in Giles' tub, you should remember." Xander said bitterly. "She was Buffy and Willow's psychology teacher."

"So that's it, then. We find this Walsh bitch and string her colon across the bloody school." Spike announced.

"We'll have to wait until tonight." Xander replied, grinding his teeth. "It's nearing morning."

"Fuck." Spike hissed. "There's no telling where she'll run to in a day."

"We'll worry about it when we get there." Xander said, his voice sounding forced. "In fact, I'll call Willow later and ask her to keep an eye on her."

"Good." Spike nodded and glanced over at Xander's form. Xander's hands were clenched tightly, his head bowed. Spike was caught with the temptation to walk toward him, but common sense made him take a step back. "Pet?"

"It's not fair." Xander breathed, before thrashing out and punching a nearby pillar. The cement cracked from Xander's strength, but wasn't nearly as damaged as Spike knew his mate's fingers to be. "It's not fucking fair!"

"No, it's not." Spike agreed, trying to keep a lid on his own anger. 

"Those fucking bastards." Xander growled, grabbing a hold of a wooden bench and throwing it across the garden. Spike heard it crash, wood splintering. 

"They are." Spike said, softly. Xander spun around, glaring at him with eyes that glowed with a faint ring of green.

"Stop being so goddamned reasonable!" Xander snapped. 

"What? Do you want to me to freak out?" Spike asked, his frustration rising. "Do you want me to bloody well throw a fit and destroy half of this hotel? Because I feel like doing that right now, pet!"

"Then do it!" Xander literally screamed, moving toward him. "Show some emotion, Spike! Stop trying to hold it all in! I know you're angry, I feel it radiating off of you. I can no longer scent it in the air, but I know you're upset. So why don't you do something about it?"

"Because I want to stay sane, alright!" Spike growled. "I want to make sure I have a level head, because I know you need to get this off your fucking chest! It's hardly reasonable-"

"Oh, don't pull that reasonable shit on me." Xander interrupted, stepping closer until he was forcing Spike to step backward. Spike's back hit the wall as Xander hovered over him. When Xander spoke next, he voice was softer but still filled with unleashed fury. "You're being far too calm, Spike. I can't help but wonder if you're my mate and not some imposter."

"I just..." Spike trailed off, taking in a deep breath and smelling Xander's scent in the process. "I'm just trying to protect you, love."

Xander stared at him a moment, before taking the final step that brought their bodies flush against one another. Xander's mouth attacked Spike's, his tongue grazing across Spike's lower lip. Spike let out a grunt, parting his lips and taking in Xander's tongue.

It was as though a torrent of emotion had been released. Xander pressed Spike hard against the wall, his hand trailing along Spike's sides in an attempt to touch and feel everything. Their kiss became fierce and violent, teeth biting and tongue invading the recess of each other's mouths. Xander growled low in his throat as his nails raked across Spike's bare chest, causing the vampire to gasp into his mouth.

Spike's hands came up, grabbing at Xander's shirt and, in the midst of the moment, ripping it down the front. Xander shrugged off the remains of the cloth. Their chest touched, flesh against flesh. Xander's mouth slid from Spike's, across his cheek and down to his neck were it latched on with teeth and suction. Spike's body hummed with pleasure, his hips rolling forward to meet Xander's.

"Pants. Down." Xander growled, his voice sounding primal. 

Spike reached forward and quickly unzipped Xander's pants, pushing the material as well as his boxers down. Xander did the same with Spike's jeans, stroking Spike's erection as he did so. Their pants bunched up around their ankles, but it was barely noticed as their need was far too great.

Xander dived back down for another kiss, pressing his body against Spike's and producing a low moan from both of them. Spike's hands trailed down Xander's back, until they reached his buttocks. Squeezing the flesh in his hands, Spike nibbled at Xander's lower lip. Xander growled deeply, one of his hands slipping around to tease at the cleft of Spike's ass. Spike moved on to nibble at Xander's ear, before suddenly finding himself being twisted around. He managed not to fall as his jeans tangled around his ankles, his hands finding purchase on the wall before him. 

Behind him, Xander was biting down on his neck lightly, as Xander's cock brushed across his ass. Spike let out a low moan, fighting down the urge to beg. Xander's hands were tracing the curve of Spike's back, before splitting into different directions. One reached around to gripping Spike's cock firmly. The other slid upwards until a finger was stroking lightly at Spike's lower lip.

Spike parted his lips, allowing two of Xander's fingers inside. He sucked gently at them, feeling Xander's panting chest pressed against his back. Using his tongue, he slicked the fingers with saliva before releasing them with an audible slurp. Xander's hand disappeared, the other still teasing his cock. Spike braced himself as a wet digit brushed across him. It teased at his opening, before working it's way inside. 

The frantic pace that had began the session suddenly flared up once again. The second finger entered Spike, scissoring enough to keep him from getting damaged, before both fingers were pulled out. As the head of Xander's cock began to ease it's way inside, Spike had to force himself to relax. His forehead pressed against the cool side of the building as Xander fully entered him. There was a pause in all movement, with Xander's hot breath brushing against the back of Spike's neck.

Then, Xander began to move. It wasn't gentle, despite Xander's soft caresses and small kisses on his shoulder between each sharp thrust. Spike was fully aware that Xander was simply feeling at that moment and, as his own anguished emotions began to fade, understood. Spike had no choice but to find a way to grip the wall as Xander's thrust pushed him towards it. Pleasure, laced with a minor amount of pain, shot through Spike's body.

Xander's mouth once again latched onto Spike's neck, teeth biting down on the sensitive flesh. Xander's hand was griping Spike's cock, stroking it with the same rhythm that he thrust into Spike's willing body. It didn't take long for them both to reach climax. Soon their hoarse cries of completion could be heard across the garden.

 

Angel let out an annoyed sound as the evidence of Spike and Xander's love making reached his nose. He glanced across the room at Doyle, who was standing on one of the library's chairs in order to reach a book on the top shelf. In the corner, Wesley had been lain on a soft love seat that, up until that point, Angel had felt there was no use for. 

"Are you sure you didn't get a good look at the demon that did this?" Gunn demanded, slamming his book shut and rubbing at his eyes. "Because I'm not finding anything, man."

"Look, we already told you, yeah?" Doyle replied, hopping off the chair and returning to Angel's side. "We didn't see it."

"What about Tara or those other guys?" Gunn asked.

"I didn't see it." Tara's soft voice informed them. She stood at the library's doorway, shuffling nervously on her feet. "Xander was closest to the elevator door."

"Well, I'll go ask him-" Gunn started.

"No!" Angel, Doyle, and Tara yelled out at the same time. Tara flushed bright red.

"That's not a good idea at the present time." Angel said, raising an eyebrow.

"Fine!" Gunn snapped, before muttering under his breath about horny vampires and their mates.

"Tara?" Doyle asked. "Did you need something?"

"Umm, yes." Tara said. "I was hoping you could direct me towards a shower? There wasn't one in the room me and Xander were in."

"I'll show you." Doyle replied, standing. Angel watched them leave, before glancing back at Gunn. The human was staring at the table, his eyes occasionally darting over to check on Wesley. With a sigh, Angel turned to his next book.


	18. Chapter 18

Oz was barely aware that he was awake, for the tingling sensation coating his skin suggested that he was still asleep. It wasn't until the soft sound of voices, entering the room and heading in his direction, reached his ears that he forced himself to open his eyes. The ceiling, which was dark and homely in a creepy sort of way, was not the same ceiling he last remembered.

That ceiling had been pure white, with bright lights that would blind a normal creature. The room had been sterile, except the strong scent of his own blood and flesh. Scientist had stood around him, their faces hidden by the blaring lights and shiny surgical tools. That place had been pain and despair and loneliness. 

"Oz?" A soft voice asked, as a familiar face appeared above him. Oz blinked and tried to get his vision to sharpen. "How are you feeling?"

"Tingle." Oz muttered, taking a deep breath and catching the strong scent of pheromones and semen, nicotine and leather, and chocolate and cloves.

"Uh, I think there's a bathroom on this floor." The face said, frowning slightly.

"I think he means his skin, love." Oz knew that voice. That cockney accent could be none other than Spike, which meant the face was Xander. Relief washed over Oz. He was safe. They had come to save them.

"What happened?" Oz croaked, trying to sit up. His skin felt weird. Tingly and stiff, as though he had a severe sunburn. He managed to get himself upright, twisting around until he was sitting normally on the sofa. He looked down, amazed to find that his skin didn't look weird at all. In fact, it looked normal.

"Bastards really did you in." Spike replied, draping one arm across his mate's shoulders. Oz noted their sappy and drained expressions, as well as the fact that they were only wearing jeans. "You know how they say there's more than one way to skin a cat? Well, I think they were trying to see if that's true for werewolves as well."

"Spike." Xander hissed. He sent Oz a sympathetic smile, which Oz returned. He could not only smell the lingering scent of blood on his new pack leader's body, but see the wounds left on his body. Xander shared a quick look with Spike, before sitting down next to Oz. "Oz... There are a few things you should know."

"Tara fixed you." Spike started, sitting down on the other side. Oz was suddenly hit by a wave of panic. What was wrong with Tara? Did she survive? Was she okay? "Calm down, pup."

"We lost Buffy in the fight against the Initiative." Xander continued. "And... Something did happen to Tara. She's okay! Except... I think you need to know this before you go looking for her."

Ten minutes and a pair of jeans later, Oz was slowly making his way upstairs. He passed the library, pausing long enough to give Angel and the others a nod, before continuing down the hall. His mind felt numb and yet he wondered if maybe he should have been mad. He was angry at those men that had dared to touch what was forever his. And, yes, if he had the chance he would rip them to shreds and feed on their flesh under the light of the moon.

Yet, he felt as though he wasn't required to do that. It was true, to an extent. He was in a pack now and, therefore, Xander was the one to call the shots. Xander would ensure that Oz received his vengeance. Knowing this gave Oz the ability to ignore his anger and focus on Tara's needs, instead.

Oz entered the large room that Xander had directed him to, the sound of the shower hitting his ears. Around him was the faint scent of lavender and magic, but it was tainted by hints of musk and arousal from more than one source. It was barely noticeable, at it would have been to anyone other than Oz. He took a deep breath, focusing on the lavender, before moving toward the bathroom door.

The door opened silently. Stepping inside, he could see the door to the shower stall and the flesh colored silhouette it provided. Tara's form was not moving and she appeared to be merely standing, with her hands pressed against the tile wall before her. Oz stepped closer, stopping when her voice broke through the sound of running water. "...Oz?"

"I'm here." Oz replied, feeling the strong urge to climb into the shower stall and press his body against hers. He held it down and instead watched as Tara moved behind the door.

"H-How are you?" Tara asked, her voice sounding raw.

"Fine." Oz assured her. "As good as new, it seems."

"I'm glad." Tara whispered.

"Tara?" Oz moved the last two steps to reach the shower. He placed his palm against the door, trying to indicate that he was there for her. "They told me."

"Everything, I suppose." Tara didn't sound surprised.

"Yeah." Oz agreed. "I... I'm here for you. Anything you need, Tara. I'll give you anything."

"Oz." Tara said his name almost like a sigh. The door opened slightly, allowing half of Tara's face to be seen. When she spoke her eyes kept darting away from him, as though embarrassed. "I don't want to sound as though I'm, well, rushing anything between us, but... Could you... Maybe... Hold me?"

"Of course." Oz replied. There was a pause. "Do you...?"

"Yeah." Tara nodded decisively, despite the strong blush spreading across her cheeks. "I still need to wash my hair."

"Okay." Oz nodded, before nervously reaching down to unzip his pants.

 

"Do you remember what it looked like?" Angel asked, watching as Xander bit his lip in thought. Gunn paced behind the part-hyena, unable to do anything other than move restlessly. Laying on the love seat in the corner of the library, Wesley was wheezing in his sleep. The fever had yet to break and his skin continued to look sickly.

"It was tall..." Xander started slowly. Next to him, Spike watched his mate with half-lidded eyes. It was obvious that, despite the exercise the duo had gotten earlier, the vampire was becoming more agitated the higher the sun rose. "It looked kind of like a lion, with a reddish orange mane. Definitely a cat species."

"Nothing else?" Doyle looked as disappointed as the others felt.

"That's as close as I can get." Xander replied, sending Gunn an apologetic look.

"Alright." Gunn took a deep breath and began shoving books they had already read onto the shelves and pulling out new ones. "We know it's a cat demon."

"Now we just have to search through over two hundred types." Angel stated. "If you could help us, Xan-"

"No." Spike interrupted, standing.

"Spike, we need all the help we can get here." Angel insisted.

"And Xander needs sleep." Spike growled, baring blunt teeth. "We've both slept no more than four hours the past day, not to mention the lack of sleep for when we were apart. Just bloody well pick out all of the lion demons and let him look at them this afternoon."

"That's fine." Doyle said before Angel could respond.

"Come on, love." Spike ordered, gently. Xander, who was forcing down a yawn, stood up and followed Spike out of the room.

"I've got to call Willow." Xander mumbled as they reached their room. In the room next door they could hear Tara's shower going and Oz and her speaking softly.

"I'll call her, pet." Spike said, tugging Xander's clothes off. He pushed a nude Xander into the bed and covered him, before snatching the phone off the bedside table. Spike didn't stop to think about why there was a phone in there, since the room had to belong to someone if there was one. Instead, he was merely thankful for the dial tone and Giles' quick hello. "Hey, Rupes. Look, I need you to give Red a message for me. We need her to watch this Professor Walsh character's status. We want to know if she attempts to leave Sunnydale, got it?"

"A hello to you as well." Giles replied. "Is there an explanation to go along with this order?"

"It's because of her that Xander has no sense of smell and that Tara was... Well, let's just say that we have a few things to discuss with her." Spike growled into the receiver.

"Point taken." Giles stated. "Very well. I'll give her the message."

"...Thanks." Spike mumbled, as though it was hard to say the word. 

"I take it everyone arrived safely?" Giles asked, before Spike could hang up.

"Yeah, yeah." Spike snapped. "We're in the mend. Now, if you don't mind, Xander needs to sleep."

 

Oz had only been with one girl and that was Willow Rosenberg. Despite the fact that, yes, they had had sex, Oz couldn't begin to recall every detail of her body. In every memory, Willow was hiding under the covers or in the dark of the night. Not that Oz was attempting to imagine Willow naked at that exact moment. No, Oz was just trying to figure out if Tara's body was utterly beautiful because he loved her or if she was just sexier than any other woman.

Those thoughts quickly left his mind as he pulled Tara into her promised hug. Even though Tara was a few inches taller than him, she still managed to fit against his body like a puzzle piece. Her skin was soft and he could feel a mole on the small of her back, where his hands rested. Oz breathed in her scent, which was covered with scent of soap. Oz was thankful the men's scent was washed away, because he didn't know how well he would have been able to control himself.

"I love you." Oz found himself whispering into her shoulder. Tara pulled back and looked at him with gray eyes.

"I love you, too." Tara replied, smiling slowly. They merely stared at one another for a moment longer. It was strange, and Oz realized it, that they were standing naked in a shower stall barely days after getting together. Yet, the idea that they were moving too fast was barely acknowledged, since Oz knew Tara was all he needed. The wolf knew it as well.

"I was..." Oz paused, gathering his thoughts in order to find the right phrase. "I was terrified I'd never see you again."

"Funny. That thought never crossed my mind." Tara said, though her eyes told him differently.

Tara's face moved closer to his, question in her eyes. Oz closed on the last few inches between them and brushed his lips against hers. Tara let out a soft noise in the back of her throat, before suddenly deepening the kiss. Her hands tightened on his shoulders, gently pushing him until his back hit the tiled wall. Her tongue flicked across his lower lip, causing him to open his mouth and allow her in.

Oz didn't find it difficult, like some men would, to submit himself to Tara completely. She had complete reign of the kiss, her hands moving dominantly over his skin. He felt complete, and more than a little aroused, as her tongue delved into his mouth to touch his own. His own hands had moved to her hips, feeling her every shift. He felt the nails of one hand scratch up his side, before pressing it's palm against the wall behind him, as though blocking him in.

They parted, Tara's chest heaving from lack of air. They remained molded together, their noses nearly touching. Oz could feel her breasts, with each breath, press against his chest. One of her thighs brushed against his own. Tara gave him a shy smile, before slowly stepping away from him.

His eyes, of their own accord, left her face and traveled down her neck. They paused on her pale breasts and rosebud nipples. Past her chest, he spotted a large bruise on her hip. It was fading to a light greenish tone, but Oz could still tell it was in the shape of a hand. Another bruise rested on her inner thigh, drawing near the patch of curly blonde hair that resided between her legs. Tara's legs were as soft looking as the rest of her, but held a hint of muscles under the pale flesh. Yet another bruise wrapped itself around her ankle, sending flashes of images into Oz's mind.

He clamped his eyes shut, trying to will his imagination to stop. He forced the images, and along with them the agony of knowing just what happened to his mate, away. Reaching out a hand, he trailed his fingers across the bruise on her hip, reopening his eyes in the process. Tara watched him carefully, before taking his hand in her own and bringing it to her lips. She placed a soft kiss on his open palm and then tugged him forward.

"Don't think." Tara said, softly.

"I can't help it." Oz replied, giving into the temptation and nuzzling her neck.

"Hmmm." Tara hummed, slipping her arms around his shoulders. "Help me wash my hair?"

The act was so domestic and Oz simply reveled in that fact. Oz shampooed Tara's hair, massaging her scalp in the process. When he was finished, she turned back around and rinsed the soap off. He watched a small handful of suds slide down her chest and toward her stomach. 

"Come on." Tara ordered, gently, as she shut the water off. She tugged his hand, pulling him out of the shower and into the steam filled bathroom. She reached over and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around him before grabbing her own. Oz had to smile as she dried her hair.

After picking up his jeans, he followed her into the outer room. Here the sight of the bed and Tara in just a towel caused him to pause. Nervousness sat at the pit of his stomach. It was by scent only that he noticed Tara approaching. Her forever lavender smell, topped with the crisp scent of soap, sent a wave of arousal down his spine.

"Oz?" Tara asked, tentatively. Oz looked at her inquisitively, trying to hide the conflicting emotions inside him. Tara didn't need him pawing at her or drooling over her. She'd just survived a terrible experience, at the hand of more than one man. Why would she want anything from him? Without realizing it, Oz began to growl. "Hey."

Oz opened his mouth to reply with something, anything, to keep himself from thinking. But that option was taken from him when Tara surged forward and pressed her lips against his. The kiss was overpowering. Tara bit down on his lower lip as her hands roughly yanked the towel and jeans away from him. The backs of his legs hit the bed, and soon he found himself being pressed into the dark comforter with Tara poised above him.

"Oz." Tara half-moaned, propping herself up with her arms and staring down at him with dilated eyes. 

"Are you...?" Oz started, before his eyes fluttered shut as she shifted on top of him.

"Please don't make me beg, Oz." Tara whispered, her face lowering until it was pressed against his in a comfortable pressure. 

"I would never make you beg." Oz replied, allowing his hands to rest on her bare hips. "I'm yours for the taking, Tara." Oz, for a split second, questioned the corniness of that statement. Yet, the bright smile slowly developing on Tara's face pushed the thought away. He forced his mind to return to the topic at hand, before the situation escaped him entirely. "Don't we need...?"

"No." Tara replied, before he could finish. It amazed him how they could finish each other's sentences. Tara bit her lip and looked away. "I cast a spell on, well, me. To keep anything from happening with the... Uh, that. It lasts a little over 72 hours, just to be sure. I'd say we have about a day, before it's effects wear off."

Oz's heart clenched at the thought that Tara had to even think about such spells. Gently, he slid his hand up her sides until they rest on her shoulders. He felt her shift above him again, her movement causing a shock of pleasure to hit his spine. Tara's lips grazed across his cheek, before meeting his lips in a chaste kiss. Her hands cupped his face, body moving around until she laid flush against him.

The act of sex had always felt primal to Oz. The animal inside him had always pushed to the front and, with Willow, he had to fight it down. Tara was different. They rolled, Oz's body pressing between Tara's legs and his hands slowly traveling the length of her body. The wolf surged forward, just as it always did, but strangely he could sense something within Tara rising to meet the wolf. Oz felt no urge to fight down the beast within. He felt unified, every aspect of his being meeting an equal counterpart in Tara.

Wolves and Nature. Otherworldly senses and magic. Pine and lavender. Male and female. Ying and yang. 

Tara's legs wrapped themselves around his hips as he entered her, savoring the feel of her inner muscles tightening around him and her teeth biting down on his neck. Their movement became frantic. Oz held her tightly, keeping her body pressed against his. Their lips molded together, as seamlessly as the carnal pleasure itself. 

Nails clawed at his back, no doubt leaving droplets of blood in their wake. The thought only served to add to his arousal, which was spiraling out of control as Tara arched against him. Sweat glistened across her chest, a siren begging to be lapped at by his tongue. Tara moaned, her fingers moving up to thread through his hair. His hands, previously wrapped around her waist, slid around her body to stroke the soft skin of her belly.

They were panting, likes wolves running through a forest in the direct path of their evening meal. Oz kissed her, slipping his tongue into her mouth and groaning from the taste. He allowed one hand to hold himself up, while the other trailed down her chest and farther down until he was able reach that wet place between her legs, where he felt he never wanted to leave. 

Tara let out a gasp, her hand tightening painfully where it held his upper arm. Her breathing turned erratic, her teeth biting down on her lower lip as a soft keen escaped her chest. They're eyes locked, both being forced open when they wanted nothing more than to roll up into their heads. A tremor traveled through her body, as he felt her tighten around his cock. Her hips jerked to meet his thrusts, before her entire body went limp. Oz quickly followed her with his own release, eyes focused on her lower lip, which was bright red from her biting it.

Oz didn't know how long he laid there, arms wrapped around Tara with his forehead pressed between her breasts. Tara's hand lightly carded through his short hair, which he vaguely noted need a new dye job. When Tara shifted underneath Oz, drawing out a soft grunt from his throat, he finally managed to gather enough energy to look up at her. 

"We should get under the covers." Tara whispered. Oz mutely followed her suggestion, wrapping the blankets around them and curling up against her side. He fell asleep to the feel of her breathing and her heart thudding in his ear.


	19. Chapter 19

It took Xander a moment to come fully into awareness. He could feel Spike's cool body wrapped around him, his strong arms pining Xander to the mattress. It shouldn't have been comfortable and normally Xander would have felt the urge to turn Spike over and dominate him, show him who was really in control. Yet the urge didn't come, so Xander slowly opened his eyes and looked down at Spike's head.

He was in need of a new dye job.

Smiling, Xander pressed his forehead against Spike's, watching as Spike's nose twitched. "Time to wake up, sleepy head. Or did you spend all this time watching me sleep and not catching any rest for yourself."

"Watching you sleep is plenty restful." Spike replied, opening his clear blue eyes. Xander grinned. "What time is it?"

"Looks about four in the afternoon." Xander informed him, glancing over his shoulder. "We should go check on Tara and Oz." Xander sat up, stretching his arms toward the ceiling. He felt Spike's fingers graze across his lower back. Sending Spike a smile, he climbed out of bed. "I wonder if they found anything on Wesley's problem."

"Don't know, love." Spike replied, getting up as well. 

They puttered around the room a few minutes, getting dressed and generally waking up. They kept looking at each other, as though shocked the other one was actually alive. Finally, they had spent enough time dressing, and made for the door. Before they could reach it, however, Xander reached out and grabbed a hold of Spike, pulling him into a hard hug.

"I thought I had lost you." Xander whispered into his ear.

"Never." Spike told him, pulling back and kissing him lightly on the lips. "You'll never get rid of me, pet. I'm yours for eternity."

"Mine." Xander growled, yanking Spike into a deep kiss. His tongue forced it's way into Spike's mouth, sliding along the vampire's tongue and teeth. Xander ended the kiss with a sigh. "Yours."

"That's right. Mine." Spike agreed, smiling. Spike slipped his hand into Xander's and tugged him out the door. They ignored the sounds of Angel and Doyle talking in the library and instead went next door to Tara's room. 

Spike carefully opened the door, pausing when the smell of sex hit his nose. Next to him, Xander released his hand and stepped further into the room. There were two towels on the floor, along with Oz's jeans. Xander stopped at the foot of the bed, his eyes wide with shock. Spike walked up next to him and wasn't that surprised to see Tara and Oz curled up together under the covers. The fact that they were naked only fit the scent in the air.

"Maybe we should leave them alone?" Xander asked.

"Probably a good idea." Spike agreed, slipping an arm around Xander's waist. "How about you head for the library and I'll go get us something to eat, yeah?"

"Ohh, my own servant?" Xander wiggled his eyebrows.

"I might even wear the maid uniform." Spike whispered, leering. With that said, Spike and Xander left the room and continued to the library. They parted after a deep kiss. "See you in a second, love."

"Not soon enough." Xander informed him.

"Oh, gross, stop!" Cordelia's voice gagged. She stood in the library's doorway, a disgusted look on her face. "If you get any more sappy, you'll stick to the floor."

"Har-har." Xander rolled his eyes, pushing past his ex-girlfriend and making for the table. Around twenty books were lined up on the table, each opened to pictures of feline demons. Across the room, Angel and Doyle sat on the loveseat that Wesley had once occupied. Xander adverted his eyes out of respect and Doyle pulled Angel into a light kiss.

"Not you two, as well!" Cordelia complained, when she spotted them. With a sigh, she joined Xander at the table. "They've been pawing at each other for about three hours now."

"Where's Wesley?" Xander asked, pulling one of the books toward him. He stared at the picture a moment, before shutting the book and grabbing the next one. Nearly all of the images looked the same, except for the small details. Thankfully, those details were evident enough for Xander to spot them.

"Gunn put him to bed." Cordelia replied, sitting down next to him. She was quiet for a moment, before speaking in a soft tone, despite the words that left her mouth. "Is it just me, or is everyone turning gay?"

"Tara and Oz aren't." Xander offered, fighting down a grin. He sent Cordelia an amused look. "Thinking of joining the other side?"

"No!" Cordelia snapped, before sighing. "It's just... Every time I turn around my best friends are getting together. Angel and Doyle, you and Spike, and now Wesley and Gunn... Though, Wesley isn't aware of that one yet, so don't tell anyone I said so. I'm without extra senses like the rest of you, but even I can tell that Gunn is head over heals in love."

"He's pretty obvious." Xander admitted, watching as Cordelia thread her fingers through her long hair, almost absentmindedly as she thought. Xander moved from book to book, giving her the moment of silence she needed before speaking again. It was one thing he had learned, since high school, that one of the reasons he and Cordelia failed was because he wasn't patient enough with her. Spike was easy to be impatient with, because the vampire was impatient himself. Cordelia was the type to blurt things out that were cold and uncaring, but when it came to what she really thought you had to wait for the real words.

"I'm lonely." Cordelia whispered.

"Hey, Cordy." Xander reached over and grasped her hand, giving her a smile. "You won't be lonely for long. I don't know when, but there's someone out there for you. Sometimes it just takes a bit longer for it to happen, is all."

"Yeah, you're right." Cordelia wiped quickly at her eyes and gave him a haughty look. "Besides, look at me. I'm hot."

"That's my girl." Xander grinned, before picking up another book. His eyes stared at the picture a moment, before turning to read the passage of text underneath. "Uh-oh. I think I found it."

 

Tara could feel the lingering traces of her nightmare. Hands grabbing at her flesh. The sound of clothes ripping. The musk of men and the booming grunts that accompanied them. Gasping for breath, Tara sat up, her eyes wide and sweat glistening across her forehead. It took her a moment to realize that there was a warm, overly heated body next to her and that she was naked. Panic laced through her heart and she closed her eyes to keep it down.

"Hmm, Tara." Oz mumbled in his sleep, rolling over and bringing himself closer to her.

Tara stiffened, her breathing coming in short gasps. She tried to control it, but could only feel her panic fighting against the measly control and threatening to take over. Quickly she slid out of the bed, stepping away until her back hit the wall. She stared with wide, gray eyes at Oz's sleeping form. One of his arms slid outward, palm brushing against the bed sheet and searching for her warmth. A slight frown flitted across his face, but he didn't wake.

Tara, unable to find the energy to move, slowly slid down the wall until she was curled up in a ball, arms wrapped around her knees. She lowered her head, her forehead pressing against her arms. She could smell Oz on her, the vague scent of sex still lingering in the air. Her body, despite feeling tense from the panic attack, was aching in a pleasant sort of way. 

Body shuddering, her mind tried to force the memories out and away from her. She didn't want to remember what happened. She was perfectly happy to forget, to lose herself in Oz's love, in her pack's embrace. Fighting down tears, Tara looked up at the bed once more. Oz had rolled fully onto his side, his eyes half-open. Tara looked away from his gaze, listening as Oz slowly stood up. She could hear his soft footsteps on the carpet as he moved toward her. A hand, with chipped nail polish, lightly touched her shoulder.

"Sorry." Oz whispered when she jerked away. He tilted his head, nose flaring to take in the scent of fear. A look of sadness entered his eyes and Tara looked away, ashamed. "It's okay... I'll get dressed."

"I'm sorry." Tara replied, dropping her forehead onto her knee. She could hear Oz walking away and picking up his jeans. The sound of a zipper echoed in her ears. 

"It's not your fault. What's wrong...? I mean..." Oz seemed to be at a lost for words. "We shouldn't have--"

"No!" Tara interrupted, her head jerking up to stare at him. Oz looked nearly scared, afraid of what she would say. Tara reached for the nearest bit of clothing. Grabbing the still damp towel off the floor she wrapped it around her and stood. "Last night was... I can't describe it. I just... I had a dream."

"Tara." Oz whispered, taking a hesitant step toward her. Tara didn't move, allowing Oz to pull her into a gentle embrace. "I don't know how to help you. I want to protect you from the world, but the damage has been done. I don't know what to do to heal you."

"Love me." Tara said, softly. "Please."

"Always." Oz said, his voice determined. "I will always love you. You hold my heart, Tara."

Tara buried her nose in Oz's hair, breathing deeply. Finally the tension that had lined her body from waking slowly began to flow out as comfort filled her. Oz lightly kissed her shoulder, before gently pulling away. He smiled up at her, the sadness in his eyes easing away. "Stay here. I'll go get our bags from the lobby."

"Okay." Tara nodded, stepping back. Oz watched her a moment, before turning toward the door and leaving the bedroom.

The hallway was empty, but he could hear voices in one of the rooms as well as downstairs. Passing the library, he saw Xander, Cordelia, Angel, and Doyle crowded around the table. Their voices were low and intense. Deciding it was best to not get involved just yet, Oz made his way down stairs and into the lobby. He could hear Spike in the kitchen, humming and singing to himself. Picking up Tara's overnight bag, as well as his own, Oz took a moment to peek inside the kitchen.

"Hey, pup." Spike greeted, piling scrambled eggs onto a plate. "Go get Tara, will you? I've got enough here for you two as well."

Nodding, Oz made his way back upstairs and into the bedroom. Tara sent him a soft, nervous smile, before taking her bag into the bathroom. Oz quickly changed and waited for her to come out. When she did she was dressed in sweatpants and a sweater, much different than the skirts she had been wearing as of late. Oz didn't comment and instead took her hand and gently guided her back downstairs.

"Sleep well?" Spike asked when they entered. He placed a plate in front of them, grabbing a jug of orange juice out of the refrigerator as he passed. 

"Just fine." Tara said, blushing lightly. Oz said nothing.

"I'm sure you did." Spike leered, before giving Tara a large glass of juice. "Eat up, you guys need your strength."

"Yes, Daddy." Tara said, her tone teasing. She didn't have the same sparkle in her eye as she normally did when teasing Spike, but Oz figured the words alone were a start. Giving Tara a half smile, Oz picked up his fork and began eating. 

"We'll be heading back to Sunnydale soon." Spike informed them, picking up another plate of food. "As soon as--" The shrill ringing of the telephone cut him off. Mumbling something rude, Spike set down the plate and picked up the kitchen's extension. "Yeah?"

"Spike?" Willow's voice asked.

"What is it, Red?" Spike asked, ignoring the watchful eyes of Tara and Oz. "What do you have for me?"

"I managed to hack into Professor Walsh's bank account." Willow told him, her voice sounding watery. Spike had a feeling she had been crying most of the night, now that Buffy's death had some time to sink in. 

"And?"

"She bought a plane ticket." Willow said. "I looked into it and it seems she's flying to Washington, D.C. tonight."

"Do you know where she lives?" Spike asked, his voice hardening as he thought about what he wanted to do to Walsh.

"Spike... Are you sure you want to do this?" Willow asked.

"Positive." Spike growled. There was a moment of silence, before Willow slowly told him Walsh's address. "What time does her flight leave?"

"Ten, but you'll need to get to her house by seven in order to catch her." Willow admitted. Spike glanced at the clock, before saying goodbye and quickly grabbing the plate off the counter.

"Eat fast, we're leaving in forty-five minutes." Spike announced, leaving the kitchen. Balancing the plate on one hand, he swiftly made his way up the stairs and to the library. "Oi, love, here."

"Not now, Spike." Xander said, absentmindedly taking the plate before returning to their conversation. "Well, I can't find anything about a cure."

"There has to be something." Angel insisted, pulling the book out of Cordelia's hands. Her protests went unheard. "It's an infection... Surely there is some spell or some way to clean the blood...?"

"Oh, that's brilliant." Xander said, sarcastically. "Let's just put Wesley, who is barely alive as it is, through dialysis. I'm sure he'll survive that." Xander shook his head and sat down at the table, pulling his meal in front of him and stuffing his face. Then, with a full mouth, he continued. "Besides, we don't know how deep his infection goes. It might have already passed the blood stage and has moved onto taking over his nervous system or something freaky like that."

"He has a point." Doyle said, sighing. "We'll have to get him a doctor."

"Well, you lot can do that." Spike said, leaning against Xander's chair. "Me, Xander, the pup, and Tara will be leaving in a few minutes."

"You mean...?" Xander trailed off, his mouth full of toast.

"Willow called." Spike informed him with a meaningful look.

"Shit, this is it." Xander gulped down the rest of his food. "But I'm not ready! I still need to draw some diagrams and we need to build a system of checks and balances so we can make sure we destroy every little inch!"

"I really don't want to know what he's talking about." Cordelia announced, saying what Angel and Doyle were feeling.

 

"Here." Tara handed Doyle the cup of green liquid, she had poured from one of the pots on the stove. Next to that pot was a larger one, where thick gray matter was bubbling. "That should help Wesley's fever."

In the lobby, Spike was running through a mental checklist, making sure they didn't leave anything. He didn't want to have to visit Angel again anytime soon. While he was thankful that his Grandsire had finally gotten around to helping them, he was still bitter that it had taken so long. Mostly, he was sorry about Wesley. The former Watcher had, at least, wanted to help them from the beginning. 

Xander was sitting on the sofa, a notebook in his hands. Oz was next to him, his green eyes shifting toward the kitchen doorway every few seconds, waiting for Tara to join them. Xander let out a thoughtful sound. "I don't know, catching her hair on fire seems a bit much. I don't want to end up having her neighbors call the fire department on us."

"Pet, a few matches aren't going to hurt." Spike informed him.

"Spike." Angel said, gravely, as he walked past them. "I need to know that you won't kill this woman. You know I can't let you do that. Hurt her, I can look past, but not killing."

"Kill?" Spike snorted. "I'd do no such thing." He waited until Angel was out of earshot, before adding under his breath. "Now, whether what we do to her results in death? I can't be certain."

"Xander?" Tara entered the lobby, carrying a large glass. "I think you should drink this now. Hopefully it'll take effect before we get to Sunnydale."

"Ugh, what's in this?" Xander asked, looking inside. "Wait, never mind, I don't want to know." Thankful that he couldn't smell the concoction, Xander raised it to his lips and gulped it down. It slid down his throat like mud, tasting like dead fish. "Oh, yuck!"

"Quit your whining." Spike ordered, fondly, as he picked up their bags. Still grimacing, Xander picked up their other bags and made for the door.

"Be careful." Cordelia ordered. "I want you to call me when this is... Done. Got it?"

"Will do, princess." Spike replied, sending her a smirk. "Tell Wesley to take it easy, yeah? Let us know of you hear anything new."

"We will." Cordelia replied, opening the Hyperion door and watching as all four of them exited into the night.


	20. Chapter 20

Spike ignored the urge to plow right into the Sunnydale sign and, instead, continued down the main road until he hit his turn-off. Next to him in the passenger seat, Tara sat with a worried expression. She had softly asked, halfway there, what exactly they planned on doing to Walsh. When Spike had answered, truthfully, that he was going to tear her from limb to limb the witch had went quiet, pulling her emotions inward and refusing to tell any of them what was wrong.

In the backseat, Xander sat, his head resting on Oz's shoulder. The part-hyena moaned softly, having suffered a severe headache most of the way from L.A. Spike's eyes darted to the rearview mirror, checking to make sure Xander wasn't breaking out into a fever. After all, who knew what sort of effects that potion would cause. Next to him, Oz had his eyes closed, his breathing deep and calm.

Professor Maggie Walsh's home was rather quaint and cute. It made Spike sick just looking at it. Parking his Desoto a half a block away, Spike turned in his seat and looked back at Xander. "Ready, pet?"

"Spike?" Xander whispered, his eyes opening to reveal a ring of green. "You smell like arousal."

"Guess it worked." Oz commented, half-smiling as Xander sat up. Oz followed Xander, climbing out of the car and watching as his pack leader excitedly sniffed at the air. 

"Tara?" Spike asked. Tara jerked slightly in her seat, before glancing over at Spike. "You don't have to come. I won't force you to."

"No." Tara took a deep breath. "I need to do this." She sent him a shaky smile. "Don’t get angry if I leave, though. I don't know if I can take everything you plan. Besides, I can be a lookout."

The group joined together at the sidewalk. Xander was fighting down tears, now that he could actually smell once more. It was like being dead, and then suddenly alive again. Everything was so sharp and clear. His vision was better, his senses reaching their limits. He could smell a pie baking three streets away. He could smell the lingering trace of nicotine on Spike, despite knowing the vampire hadn't smoked a cigarette in nearly a week.

Spike pulled Xander in close, allowing Xander to bury his nose in bleached blonde hair. Xander's hand trailed up and down his spine. Spike knew that his mate wanted nothing more than to drag him home and ravage him. The thought caused Spike to smile as he carefully pulled away. Spike lead them down the street, where they stopped in front of the small home. The upstairs light was on and Spike could hear the soft heart beat of an older woman, pacing the upstairs bedroom.

Quietly, they moved around the house and into the backyard. There was a small garden in the corner, the shadows of sprouts sticking up from the ground. Sneering, Spike turned to the back door. The porch light was on and no doubt the door was locked. Spike glanced at Xander, who gave him a hard smile, before stepping forward and easily kicking the door open. It hit the far wall with a loud thump. This was followed by the distant sound of someone gasping.

As one, they entered the house, inviting Spike inside as they did so, before gentle shutting the door. They made it to the stairs without a sound, before Maggie Walsh appeared. Xander vaguely noted that she looked different without the white lab coat. Jeans really did not suite her. As the scent of lilies his Xander's nose, he began to growl.

Letting out a shocked noise, Walsh turned to run for her bedroom and no doubt a weapon. Spike and Xander were too fast for her, however, and soon had the woman pinned to the floor. Using the cord from the hallway's telephone, Spike swiftly tied Walsh's hands behind her back. After binding her ankles together, he picked her up by the arm roughly and dragged her into her bedroom. Walsh was letting out a series of indignant squawks, yelling something about being a government worker.

"Oi, bitch, shut up." Spike ordered, ripping off enough of her bed sheet to tie a gag around her head and mouth. Walsh glared up at him defiantly. "Xan, love, help me prop her up on the bed."

Ignoring Walsh's muffled curses, Xander and Spike lifted her up and dumped her onto the pristinely made bed. Walsh wriggled around a moment, fighting her bindings, before giving up and staring at them with poisonous eyes.

"Pup?" Spike turned toward the werewolf, who stood at the foot of the bed with his hands balled into fists. Waves of anger was radiating off of Oz, causing Spike to feel twitchy. "Pup, bring Tara over." Oz jerked from his words and looked over at Tara, who hovered by the door with an expression of fear engraved on her face. Oz shook his head slightly. "Bring her over. She needs to confront this. Trust me."

Oz walked over to Tara, immediately wrapping his arms around her waist. Tara seemed to nearly collapse against him, allowing Oz to carry her inner turmoil. Oz murmured into her ear and kissed the side of her neck. With a sigh, Tara nodded and allowed Oz to gently pull her toward the bed. Walsh appeared confused, but all four of them could see the shock of recognition when Tara stepped up to the side of the bed. Tara stared down at her, mouth drawn into a tight line. Oz continued to hold her, forehead pressed against her shoulder.

"Hecate help me, I don't wish to cause you harm." Tara whispered, her voice barely carrying across the room. Despite the harsh breaths Walsh took in, it was obvious the woman heard Tara speak. "I cause pain only to those that would harm my family, but you... You've harmed my pack mates, you've ordered the destruction of my mate and lover's flesh, and you've taken away the last of my innocence."

"It's okay." Oz said against Tara's shoulder, when she began to shake. Tara closed her eyes, gathering strength, before continuing.

"I will try to not participate in this revenge, but I will not stop them." Tara took a deep breath. "May the Goddess help you, for your screams will not be heard."

Spike felt the shift of magic through the air. The walls, door, and window seemed to blur a moment and Spike knew that Tara had placed a silence spell on the room. Walsh whimpered from behind her gag. With a grin, Spike began digging into his duster's pocket, until he pulled out a long knife with a slender blade. He gripped the black handle tightly, kneeling onto the bed and reaching for Walsh. He lifted her shirt, using the knife to slice it open vertically. 

"Where shall we start, pet?" Spike asked, tilting his head and watching as Xander thought.

"Hmm, let's give her the Oz experience." Xander's lips curved into a sneer. "What did you call it? Oh, yes, skinning the werewolf."

Oz growled from where he stood with Tara, who had retreated to the corner of the room. Tara watched with wide eyes as Spike climbed fully onto the bed, resting comfortably on his knees. Walsh began to wriggle around, trying to escape Spike's reach. Xander chuckled, amused, when she noticed him standing on the other side.

"You know." Spike said, in a conversational tone. "She's got a flat stomach for an ugly old bitch."

"Maybe we should take care of that for her." Xander commented.

Spike didn't respond. Instead he leaned forward, adjusted the knife in his grip, and pressed it against the soft flesh next to Walsh's bellybutton. The blade easily sliced into the skin, blood welling up as Spike slowly cut a circle around her navel. A soft screech emitted from Walsh's throat, her jaw clenching to keep anymore sound out. Spike smiled rather cheerfully, before drawing the blade outward. By now the blood had smeared, giving Walsh's stomach the look of a bull’s-eye. 

The only sound in the room was that of Walsh's harsh, pain filled breathing. Spike, completely entranced in his task, continued to cut a thick ring around her bellybutton. Once the circle was complete, Spike tilted the blade onto it's side and began cutting underneath the layers of skin. Walsh's legs jerked, but she otherwise remained still, afraid that any movement would cause more damage. 

Tara made a choked noise in the back of her throat when she saw Spike begin to peel the skin off of Walsh's stomach. The cut was clean and deep, revealing nothing but muscles and fat underneath, Blood welled up in the wound, but did not spill over. Cringing, remembering his own pain, Oz pulled Tara close and pressed his nose against her neck. Xander watched them a moment, before turning back to the scene slowly playing out on the bed. Spike sat up, calmly holding the thick, long strand of flesh between his thumb and forefinger.

"And what, love, shall we do with it?" Spike asked, watching the skin wiggle back and forth as it dangled from his grip. "Perhaps we should let her feast on our efforts."

Xander grinned and reached for Walsh's gag. Walsh still made no noise, but her breathing was ragged and a light coating of sweat glistened across her forehead. Her jaw clamped shut, tensing as Xander gripped it tightly in is hand. Using his fingers, he pressed against her cheeks and forced her mouth open. Spike casually brought the piece of flesh over and dropped it into her mouth. Walsh gagged, her throat fighting to not swallow and her tongue trying to put it out of her mouth. Xander tsked and pushed her jaw closed. Walsh's head twisted, her eyes wide. A low groan of horror vibrated from her chest.

"Think we need some duct tape, love." Spike commented.

"I'll... I'll go look for some." Tara stammered out, quickly disappearing through the door.

"Is she okay...?" Xander asked Oz, who's face was pale from shock.

"Yeah." Oz gulped. "Fine."

"What about you, pup?" Spike narrowed his eyes at the werewolf, who took a deep breath and nodded his reply. "Don't be afraid to indulge in this. Let the wolf free, yeah?"

"I c-can't." Oz shook his head almost frantically, his eyes focused on the blood pooled in a circle on Walsh's stomach.

"Yes, you can." Xander said, calmly. His eyes were still ringed in green, his nose flaring. "This is pack, Oz. We fight and we get our revenge."

"Pack." Oz closed his eyes, his breathing calming slowly. As Tara nervously re-entered the room, Oz reopened his eyes, revealing bright gold irises, specked with green. Tara paused in the doorway, staring at Oz in surprise. Then, without looking, she tossed the duct tape toward the bed and walked to Oz. Their eyes locked and Tara drew in a gasp.

"I was wondering when I'd meet your wolf, face to face." Tara said, softly, before threading her fingers through Oz's hair. A slight smile graced her features, cutting through the mask of horror that had covered her face.

At the bed, Xander ripped off a strip of tape and quickly taped Walsh's mouth closed. Spike sat back with a sigh. "Pity, I was hoping to make her scream."

"Hmm... What now?" Xander asked.

"It's time for your revenge, pet." Spike said softly.

"Spike... Cutting into her head will kill her." Xander insisted.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Spike smirked down at the woman, who was too busy trying to not swallow the foul piece of flesh in her mouth to pay attention to their words. "We don't want to kill her... Promised Peaches, after all."

"Then what do you want to do?" Xander asked, eyeing the blood on Walsh's stomach.

"They cut into your liver, right?" Spike asked, trying to keep his words light. Xander's hand automatically reached for the place on the side of his stomach, where his stitches resided. "Then, that's our next project."

Xander didn't say another word and, instead, watched as Spike unbuttoned Walsh's jeans. The vampire jerked them downward, until they rested low on her hipline. Spike tsked and pushed her white cotton underwear down as well. Xander stepped away from the bed, joining Oz and Tara. Without looking, he could smell the sudden exposure of more flesh to the air. A soft squelch was heard behind him and, at Spike noise of pleasure, a shiver ran down his spine.

"Bloody hell, I'd forgotten how disgusting human bodies were." Spike exclaimed, his voice bright and happy. Happy, despite his soul, to be destroying something once again. Xander tried to not smile and turned back to the bed. 

Spike's hand and knife was coated in blood. The bright crimson, speckled with dark bits of flesh that had been torn away, paired with Spike's smirk and bright blue eyes gave him a look of an angel, fallen from grace. Xander took a deep breath, smelling the blood and his mate's arousal. A part of Xander wanted to be ashamed by how this aggression and pain was turning him on. This was Spike at his best, playing amongst the living and holding the gift of death in his hands. It made Xander want to touch him, love him.

"Should be happy, you know." Spike commented. "I don't have any railroad spikes handy, after all."

That was all Xander needed. The sound of Spike's voice and the smells, so many smells, drifting around him. Unable to stop himself, Xander strode toward the bed, tossing the knife and pining Spike into the mattress in one fluid motion. Spike made a surprised, but happy, sound in the back of his throat as Xander pulled him into a hard and erotic kiss. 

Oz had tried to keep from looking. He could hear Xander and Spike writhing on the bed, next to a silently crying Walsh. The woman was strong, Oz had to give her that. She hadn't made much noise, taking all of her pain silently. As though pulled forward, Oz released his hold on Tara and stepped toward the bed. Tara followed, her eyes darting around so she wouldn't have to look at Walsh.

"Bloody hell, pet." Spike gasped, one of his hands reaching up to grasp the headboard. Xander's hands had disappeared underneath Spike's clothes, his mouth latched onto Spike's neck. Walsh looked like she either wanted to have a nervous break down, or throw up.

Oz glanced briefly at his pack mates, before allowing his eyes to connect with the open wounds in Walsh's side. Blood trickled out from between the severed flesh, staining the white and blue comforter underneath her. Oz's hand seemed to move of it's own accord, reached forward and gently touching the cut. Walsh gasped from behind the duct tape. Tilting his head, Oz watched as his fingers disappeared between the flesh. Inside felt wet and hot. It made Oz hungry.

Oz's fingers brushed against something. Shoving his hand deeper inside, he enclosed his fingers around the unknown organ and squeezed. A screech of pain erupted from Walsh's throat, her breath quickening. Oz carefully slipped his hand out, staring down at the bright blood wordlessly. Taking a step back from the bed, Oz watched as the blood dripped steadily from his hand and onto the pristine carpet.

"Oz." Tara whispered, horrified as the werewolf raised his hand to his lips and licked at the blood. Gold tinted eyes turned to her. As though coming back to himself, Oz dropped his hand, leaving a streak of blood across his lower lip. He looked apologetic, his eyes lowering. "Oz..."

"Sorry." Oz's voice cracked slightly.

"You've got blood on your lips." Tara informed him, her eyes wide as she stepped closer to him. "I... Oh, Goddess, something is wrong with me, because..." Tara reached up and cupped Oz's face, pulling him toward her. "I want you."

Tara's tongue flicked out briefly, gathering the taste of blood into her mouth, before she kissed Oz full on the mouth. Oz growled softly against her lips, wrapping his arms around her waist as her hand thread through his hair. When every trace of blood had been removed from Oz's mouth, Tara slowly pulled back, panting.

"Spike." Xander said from the bed. "Drain her, please. I want to go home and strip you down to nothing. And I think Tara's thinking along the same lines with Oz."

"I'm not going to kill her, love." Spike replied, as Xander allowed him to sit up. "As much as the idea pleases me, I don't want to get on the bad side of Peaches again so soon."

"Then drain her enough." Xander literally begged. "I want to mark you again, please. I want to go home and place my scent in every crevice of your body."

Spike moaned at Xander's words, before reaching for Walsh and roughly pulling her toward him. Walsh's eyes fluttered as she tried to focus on what was happening, her body jerking painfully to get away from Spike's hold. Spike grinned, before burying his face in her neck, his fangs into her skin. Hot liquid, tasting like fear, anger, and copper flooded his mouth. Groaning, Spike drunk the blood down until he heard Walsh's heart beat turn sluggish. Tearing away from her, before he could drink too much, Spike dropped her back on the bed with a smirk.

"One more spot of revenge, love." Spike said, as Xander pulled him off the bed and into a tight embrace. "Got to let the bitch know what our lovely witch went through. Got to make her scream, pet."

"You're not touching that thing with your dick, Spike." Xander said, narrowing his eyes.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Spike looked disgusted by the mere thought. Spike turned toward the other two, who were slowly gravitating toward the door. "You two go ahead, yeah? We'll be out in a second."

"Are you sure?" Oz asked, as Tara made for the door.

"Yeah, pup. Go on." Spike nodded. He waited until they were already down the stairs, before moving toward the knife that Xander had tossed to the floor. He picked it up, balancing it's handle in his hand, before turning back to the bed. Walsh was on the verge of slipping into unconsciousness, if not death. Her skin was stark white, her blood soaking into the bed sheets.

Moving fast, hoping to finish before she lost the ability to recognize what was happening around her, Spike grabbed a hold of her jeans and underwear, tugging the roughly down until they reached her knees. Then, after a quick glance at Xander, he swiftly shoved the knife between her legs, twisting it as it disappeared into her body. Walsh's scream was hardly muffled by the duct tape. Spike, with a sadistic grin plastered onto his face, pulled back to watch her eyes roll up into her head and her body go limp. 

"Do you think she'll live?" Xander asked, opening one of the bedroom's door to find a small personal bathroom. He went inside and grabbed a washcloth, wetting it.

"Have to admit, love, considering how much blood she's lost and how long it will take someone to find her?" Spike accepted the cloth and began wiping the blood from his hands. "Well, she'd have earned her life after all of that."

"She'll be here a while." Xander agreed, watching as Spike tossed the now bloody cloth onto the bed. 

Xander paused, before grabbing another washcloth and wetting it as well. He folded it carefully, before following Spike out the bedroom door and down the stairs. They met Tara and Oz in the backyard, where Xander handed Oz the cloth. Oz cleaned his own hand, disposing of the cloth in a trashcan. The four looked at each other a moment, before silently walking around the building and back to the car.


	21. Chapter 21

"I... I don't understand." Xander said, softly. His voice was full of mourning as he cradled the object in his hands. Next to him, Tara was looking as though she was going to cry. "How could you do this?"

"I needed something to practice the spell to disable Spike's chip on." Tara admitted, looking away from Xander's pained eyes. She, instead, chose to watch Oz put on his black tie instead. They were getting ready for Buffy's funeral, each of them looking like death warmed over. With a deep sigh, she turned back to Xander. "You wouldn't have wanted me to cause Spike's head to explode."

"Well, no. I kind of like his head." Xander told her, setting the dead phone back onto the table. "Still, this was a high-tech piece of equipment. It costs me nearly fifty bucks!"

"I'm really sorry." Tara whispered. Xander sniffed. Frowning, Tara quickly pulled Xander into a tight hug, patting his back as he buried his nose into the shoulder of her clean, black dress. "This isn't about the phone, is it?"

"I can't believe we're actually doing this." Xander said after a few minutes of silence. "It didn't really seem... I mean, in the back of my head I just kept thinking that she would suddenly..."

"Be alive." Tara finished. "I know."

"We should get going." Xander pulled away from Tara and turned to Oz. "What did the weather say?"

"Cloudy all day." Oz informed him, tugging nervously at his jacket. Behind him the door opened and Spike stepped out, suit and tie hidden under his leather duster. With a scowl, he slipped his arm around Xander's waist and stared at the ground.

"Don't see why I have to go." Spike muttered.

"Because, no matter how much you claimed otherwise, you liked Buffy." Xander said, heading for the door. "And I refuse to go to this funeral without you. Please, Spike? I really need your support in this."

"Bloody hell, fine." Spike sighed dramatically as they stepped out into the hall.

The funeral was held in Hampton Cemetery, the newest plot of gravesites to be built in Sunnydale. The sky was dark and dreary, giving a strong threat of rain. A tarp had been propped above the casket to keep it and the soil dry, in case the rain clouds decided to open up early. Xander sat on one side of the casket, sending Joyce Summers a shaky smile. Buffy's mother looked tired and worn down, but her inner strength that had always admired Xander was showing through. 

Next to Joyce, Willow was looking worse than before. Her face was paler than normal, her eyes downcast. She avoided eye contact with him and ignored Giles, who was patting her lightly on the arm in a form of comfort. Giles, aside the repetative movement of his hand, stared forward without blinking. Xander sighed and let his eyes drop to the single white rose resting on top of Buffy's golden brown casket. The funeral continued on around him and he moved through the motions with barely a thought. 

Afterwards, he was shocked back to reality by Spike grabbing his hand and tugging him toward Joyce Summers. They stopped in front of her, Spike clearing his throat nervously. "Err, I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, Spike." Joyce said, softly. A slight smile lifted the corner of her lips, but refused to reach her eyes. She turned to Xander. "Are you okay, Xander?"

"Yeah." Xander croaked. He closed his eyes briefly, before continuing. "I'll be fine. What about you? Are you... Are you doing alright?"

"It's tough. It's..." Joyce took a shuddering breath. "Sudden. I always knew that as the Slayer she would have a difficult life, but I had hoped it would last longer than this."

"Yeah." Xander nodded. Joyce reached out and touched his arm, rubbing it in comfort. 

"I should..." Joyce trailed off, her eyes darting around. "It's good to see so many people loved my daughter." Her eyes paused, staring intently across the cemetery. Her lips parted in shock. "Angel. I didn't think he would come..."

"What?" Xander asked, turning to look. Spike cursed softly from behind him. Angel, Doyle, and Cordelia were hovered near a mausoleum, as though afraid they weren't welcome any closer. Xander wondered how long they had been there. Xander glanced back toward Joyce, but the woman had already been pulled away by another well wisher.

"I was hoping we wouldn't have to see them again." Spike muttered. Xander hesitated a moment, before slipping his hand into Spike's and making his way toward Angel. Spike sneered up at Angel when they reached him. "You know, a real man wouldn't hide in the background."

"Oh, shut up, Spike." Cordelia snapped, before Angel could even open his mouth. "We're here to pay our respects, not bother you."

That said, Cordelia pushed past Spike and made her way over to Joyce. Spike watched her go with a small smile, always amused to see how Cordelia controlled her environment.

"How's Wesley doing?" Xander asked, unconsciously squeezing Spike's hand. "It's been a couple of days... Has anything changed?"

"According to the doctor the condition is permanent." Doyle informed him, sadly. "Right now we're focusing on how to help him through this. Gunn won't leave his side."

"If you need anything, just let us know." Xander offered.

"The same goes for Sunnydale." Angel replied. "Now that Buffy's gone, things are going to get a little dangerous around here."

"Like it wasn't before?" Spike asked with a snort.

"Nonetheless." Angel continued, ignoring Spike. "Without the Slayer, the Hellmouth will be open game for any demon that wants to cause a little trouble."

"You don't think we know that?" Xander asked, calmly. "Spike and I are taking over her patrols. Oz has agreed to help out when he can. Though I hate to bring her into danger, no doubt Tara will help as well. She doesn't like to be left out of the loop, after all... We'll get things under control."

"That's good to know." Angel's lips curved slightly in a mild smile. The smile faded as his eyes drifted back to Buffy's tombstone. "I never thought things would turn out this way."

"Life has a funny way of kicking you in the balls." Spike commented, with a shrug. "A Slayer, killed by a bullet. It's almost poetic justice."

"Almost." Xander repeated, releasing Spike's hand in order to cross his arms. He fought to ignore the cold chill clawing at his heart. "Sunnydale won't be the same without her. Nothing will... Willow's already changing. She's ignoring me. Even Giles is avoiding human contact. I can't help but wonder how long it will take before he heads back to England."

"Do you think he will?" Doyle asked.

"There's nothing here for him." Xander said, his voice mild despite the pain the truth of that statement caused.

"There's you and Willow." Doyle told him. "Don't ignore how much you both mean to him. It's my guess that he really needs you both right now. From what I could discern, Buffy was like a daughter to him."

"Yeah." Xander took a shaky breath. "How long are you guys staying?"

"We'll be leaving shortly." Angel replied, watching as Cordelia began walking back toward them. "We need to get back... Wesley... He's still unconscious, but there's no telling when he'll wake up. When he does we'll need to be there to keep him under control."

"Is it that bad?" Xander asked, frowning. "I mean, it should be that big of a problem. I've gone through it and I--"

"Wesley's not you, love." Spike interrupted. "He hasn't lived with it for four years like you did. He's not going to be accustomed to it that easily."

"But this is different." Xander looked at Doyle, who had a slight frown of thought on his face. "Right? He's not possessed... It's... It's different."

"Yeah, but we still don't know what he'll do." Doyle agreed, with a sigh. He looked down at his watch. "We should head back now if we want to get there in time for the doctor's visit."

"Are you ready?" Angel asked Cordelia, as she reappeared next to them. None of them commented as she discreetly wiped away a few tears and nodded. "Will you be going to the reception?"

"I'm not sure." Xander said, nervously. "It's kind of morbid, funeral receptions. A bunch of upset people huddled around each other, stuffing their faces with finger foods and trying to not offend anyone by leaving..." Xander turned to Spike with a sigh. "What do you think?"

"I don't think Joyce would be too upset if we didn't go, love." Spike admitted to him. "As long as we don't make strangers of ourselves."

"We need to find Tara and Oz." Xander said, a faraway look in his eyes. He blinked and rubbed tiredly at his temples. They said a quick goodbye to Angel and the others, before slowly making their way back to the small funeral. Spike slipped his arm around Xander's waist, trying to not enjoy the feel of his mate as Xander leaned against him in comfort. While he always enjoyed feeling Xander near him, right now the obvious pain that Xander was feeling needed to be dealt with.

"It's okay, pet." Spike whispered into his ear. "You're not weak for being upset. Come on, let's grab the little witch and pup so we can head back home and you can get some rest."

"I need to buy a new phone." Xander stated in an off-hand voice. Spike sighed, kissing him on the cheek before reaching out and tapping Tara on the shoulder.

"You ready to go?" Spike asked. 

"Yeah." Tara nodded, turning to grab Oz's hand. Oz walked over to them silently. "This was... A little overwhelming. I think we all need to go home and... Just connect again."

"Sounds like a plan." Xander agreed, smiling slightly.

"Let's go home." Spike ordered, turning and heading for the car. The others followed, Xander still tucked into his side with Tara and Oz trailing behind them.

"You know this means we're going to have to get a bigger apartment, don't you?" Xander suddenly asked, watching Spike unlock the car doors. "Which means dealing with that Reginald guy."

Spike let out an annoyed sound and chose to ignore Xander's mild snicker.

 

Epilogue

Once upon a time, there was a vampire and a hyena. Together, they formed a two party pack, bonded as only mates could be. Yet, that wasn't enough. To be truly happy, they needed more. So, they opened their arms and invited a woman, whose power was far buried underneath her spirit. This woman, this witch, extended her hand to the fourth member of their pack. The fourth rode on all fours and howled against the backlight of the moon. Together, they became mates and strengthened the pack.

This was where the happiness came in. Happiness is relative. A person must choose to be happy, they can not leave such an emotion up to fate, unless they wished to be stuck in a swirl of negativity all their lives. 

Xander understood this now. He had been happy, then that pleasure was ripped away from him. Yet, in the end, the pain and torture did not matter. For he had found a new happiness, a newly formed pack. In the beginning, there was the hyena. But that story came and went. This story had started with a wolf and a jolt of electrical pain. Happiness had fled.

The story had ended, leaving behind small ripples in their lives. These could not be ignored, but they could be taken and altered; they could be fixed. Happiness was relative. Xander chose to be happy.

 

Final Notes  
Total Estimated Words: 53,500  
Date Started: June 16, 2005 at 11:05pm  
Date Ended: January 07, 2006 at 3:10pm


End file.
